Why is the circus used as a location for the story in "The Leap?"

The circus is one of the settings in "The Leap." In this story, the narrator says that she owes her life to her mother three times. The first time her mother has given her daughter life (or made her daughter's life possible) occurs before the narrator is born. Prior to the narrator's/daughter's birth, her mother was part of a two-person trapeze act called The Flying Avalons. This act traveled with a circus. At the time, her mother (Anna) was married to Harry Avalon, the other member of the trapeze act. Anna was pregnant with another child (not the narrator) at this time. 

A freak accident occurs when lightning strikes the main circus tent pole. The tent buckles and Harry and Anna fall to the ground. Rather than trying to save Harry or reach out to him, Anna thinks of her unborn child and tries to save herself. She succeeds but Harry is killed and the baby is born "without life." Anna survives, meets another man, and from that marriage, the daughter/narrator is born. 

Why do Sam and Bill need money in "The Ransom of Red Chief"?

Sam and Bill are con artists. They are thieves and kidnappers as well, as this story will show. They have six hundred dollars with them at the beginning of the story. They figure that they need two thousand more in order to pull off another scam in which they will defraud people of more money: 

Bill and me had a joint capital of about six hundred dollars, and we needed just two thousand dollars more to pull off a fraudulent town-lot scheme in Western Illinois with. 

Sam never tells us (the reader) what the town-lot scheme is. However, given that these guys are con artists, thieves, and essentially professional criminals, it would probably have something to do with selling lots that do not belong to them. It may be a case where a new town is in development and a financier or the government (state or federal) is selling the plots in what will be the new town. Knowing where and when this would happen (Western Illinois, for example), Sam and Bill could go there before the real administrators get there. They could pose as the sellers, sell plots of land to people intending to move there, and then leave with the money before the real sellers get there. This is an example of a "town-lot scheme" and is a possible scenario of what Sam is talking about.

Why does Lady Macbeth's character change?

It seems that Lady Macbeth's character undergoes a change when her guilty conscience becomes too much for her to bear.  In Act 5, Scene 1, the sleepwalking scene, she is clearly reliving the night of Duncan's murder, except now she imagines that her hands are still stained with his blood.  At the time, she'd said, "a little water clears us of this deed" (2.2.86); now, however, she says that "All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand" (5.1.52-55). 

Further, it was Macbeth who initially feared that he would not be able to sleep anymore because he murdered Duncan while he was sleeping; now, it is Lady Macbeth who cannot sleep due to guilt. She remembers chastising Macbeth for what she perceived as weakness and cowardice, and she repeats many of these phrases, but they are peppered with references to Duncan's blood, Macduff's family, and her inability to wash the blood from her hands. In Macbeth, she's created a monster who will do anything to hold on to the power that he is taken by force, including things she never planned on, like when he orders the murders of Macduff's wife and small children.  While she sleepwalks, she says, "The Thane of Fife had a wife. Where is she now?" (5.1.44-45).  It seems that she she bears some of the guilt for these deaths as well, because it was she who coerced Macbeth to commit the first murder.

Also notable is the fact that Lady Macbeth no longer speaks in verse, as she has always done in the past.  Shakespeare typically reserves verse for nobility, but he also sometimes has characters speak in prose to indicate some kind of mental break. (For example, Ophelia, in Hamlet, speaks in prose after she's gone mad, and Hamlet speaks in prose when he wants others to believe that he's gone mad.) Now, Lady Macbeth speaks in prose, and this gives us some clue as to just how guilty she feels, so guilty that it has driven her insane. 

What are three characteristics found in prokaryotic cells?

1. Prokaryotic cells lack a nucleus. In eukaryotes, the nucleus is the organelle that contains the cell's DNA. In prokaryotes, the DNA is loose in the cell. The area that contains prokaryotic DNA is called the nucleoid. The nucleoid is not enclosed by a membrane. Try not to be confused by the nucleoid - it is not a structure, it is simply the location occupied by prokaryotic DNA within the cell.

2. Prokaryotes do not have other organelles. Organelles are the membrane enclosed inner compartments of cells. Eukaryotes have many organelles, such as mitochondria, the endoplasmic reticulum, and the golgi. Organelles have very specific functions. 

3. Prokaryotes also have a circular DNA sequence. Eukaryotes, on the other hand, have linear DNA. Prokaryotes typically have much smaller genomes than eukaryotes as well. 

In regard to the U.S. criminal and civil systems, discuss whether or not a person should be entitled to have a trial in our systems. For example,...

The right to a speedy and public trial is outlined in the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and, therefore, is one of our most basic and clearly defined freedoms. In cases where an especially upsetting crime has taken place, it can be hard to understand why the perpetrators of such a horrific crime should be allowed to exercise these “civilized” rights. In these instances, it is crucial to remember that the right to a public trial is an essential component of any just and democratic society.

Trials, as a part of an impartial justice system, allow us to separate the innocent from the guilty and justify the government’s authority to punish those who commit crimes. Our government’s legitimacy largely depends on citizenry’s faith that it won’t abuse its power. Public trials serve to bring the justice system into the open, ensuring government transparency and preventing authorities from unjustly or unlawfully targeting innocent individuals. Though the murder of Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her daughters was undoubtedly a grave injustice, it is also a terrible injustice to wrongfully convict and punish an innocent person.

While trials are, of course, an imperfect way to determine absolute guilt or innocence, they are the greatest protection our society can offer those who are wrongfully accused of a crime. It is also worth noting that our right to a speedy and public trial is not perfectly applied in practice. Approximately 95-97% of people accused of a crime waive their right to a jury trial and choose to accept a plea deal. While this is a long-standing practice, many scholars and legal professionals point to the negative consequences of such a trend, among which are increases in wrongful incarceration. Ultimately, our right to trial must be protected to ensure fair outcomes for all who encounter our justice system as well as to safeguard our government’s legitimacy as the ultimate arbiter of the law.

What words or images contibute to the feelings of sadness and longing in the story, "The Scarlet Ibis?"

James Hurst uses words and images throughout his short story “The Scarlet Ibis” to contribute the feelings of sadness and longing. In his opening line, “It was in the clove of seasons, summer was dead but autumn had not yet been born, that the ibis lit in the bleeding tree,” he sets the tone for impending doom by describing the death of summer and the bleeding tree. The color red is used throughout the story to signify passion, and death.The tree where the rare Scarlet Ibis alights is called the bleeding tree.

The birth of a child is usually a joyous time but sadness surrounds Doodle’s birth. Due to his condition, he is described as being red and born in a caul. No one in the family, except his aunt, gives him much chance to survive and they do not even name the baby. Many feel that it is bad luck when a child is born surrounded by a caul.

In an early scene, Hurst describes how the father has a coffin made for the baby, and later Brother makes Doodle touch the coffin that was meant for him. The boys spend time in Old Mother Swamp which is a place that Doodle finds so beautiful that it brings him to tears. The death of the rare Scarlet Ibis in the bleeding tree after a hurricane causes more sadness and is a foreshadowing of what is to come. Brother pushing Doodle to his physical limits shows how he longs to have a “normal” brother. This longing leads to the ultimate sadness of Doodle’s death under the bleeding tree.

How does Dickens build suspense in Great Expectations?

Dickens’s descriptions of settings create suspense in many places throughout the novel. In the first chapter, his description of the marshes where Pip is first introduced in the graveyard where his parents and siblings are buried provides an atmosphere of  bleakness and emptiness, which makes the sudden appearance of the convict Magwitch so startling. The continued threats to Pip, which Pip takes seriously whether Magwitch meant them seriously or not, build a tense mood as Pip responds to the threats, in danger from the discovery by his sister and then by the soldiers who are searching for the escaped prisoners. Even though Magwitch is eventually captured and imprisoned, Magwitch’s promise that he won’t forget what Pip has done, is taken as forboding by Pip, though Magwitch means it as positive. The continued existence of Pip lies in the background through the middle part of the novel, with his sudden reappearance in the latter section. It is the fear of the discovery of Magwitch, who faces death for returning to England, and Pip and Herbert’s efforts to help him escape, help to drag the suspense out. The death of Magwitch on the surface might seem like a release from the suspense. However, it is a sad occurrence for Pip, how has grown fond of his benefactor, despite his past.

How has their relationship changed by the end?

At the start of Edith Wharton's "Roman Fever," the characters of Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley are civil with each other but not especially warm. The two women knew each other as young girls and as adults, lived across the street from each other. Though they were not close and they didn't really like each other, they found themselves together in Rome as middle-aged women. Their relationship changes from civil to antagonistic by the end of the story. When each woman reveals her secret, the other becomes angry at the deceit and betrayal. Mrs. Slade is angry that after all of these years, she didn't know that her husband had met and had a child with another woman--Mrs. Ansley. Mrs. Ansley didn't know that Delphin didn't write that letter, Mrs. Slade did. By the end of the story, the women hate each other and will probably not even be able to be civil again.

How do the first four chapters reveal similarities and differences between Jesse's and Leslie's families?

Although both families live in the same poor rural town and are neighbors, the first four chapters of the story reveal vast differences between Jesse's and Leslie's families. Let's consider those differences as they arise.

Chapter 1 reveals a lot about Jesse's family: with all his sisters and Jesse himself constantly playing and making noise, their mother is often in a bad mood and tends to fuss at them and give them commands impatiently. They are very poor, and Jesse wishes his family would use better grammar--to say "I don't have any money" rather than "I ain't got no money." Ellie and Brenda, his older sisters, are silly and self-centered. May Belle, younger than Jesse, is sweet but unintentionally annoying, and Joyce Anne is a toddler.

Chapter 2 shows that Jesse's dad isn't interested in Jesse's drawings, and that he wants his son to be masculine and tough instead. In that same chapter, we see Jesse's mom dismiss Jesse's favorite teacher as a "hippie." It's clear that Jesse's parents don't connect with him. He aches for the affection his father won't give him, and the narrator sums up his sad family situation like this:

"Sometimes he felt so lonely among all these females - even the one rooster had died, and they hadn't yet gotten another. With his father gone from sunup until well past dark, who was there to know how he felt?"

In Chapter 3, although we realize that Leslie is an only child, unlike Jesse, we infer that Leslie's family's living situation is just as poor as Jesse's from the way that Leslie is dressed worse than her classmates:

"Leslie was still dressed in the faded cutoffs and the blue undershirt. She had sneakers on her feet but no socks."

(But in Chapter 4, we find out that Leslie's family used to be wealthy and actually chose to move out to the country to reassess what they find important in life! There's a major difference--Jesse's sisters would probably be overjoyed to have wealth; they would never give it up voluntarily.)

From the friendly way that Leslie behaves toward Jesse on that first day of school in Chapter 3, despite Jesse's coolness toward her, we can also tell that Leslie's family environment must be very different from Jesse's. How else would she have learned friendliness? Jesse thinks to himself, "Lord, the girl had no notion of what you did and didn't do." It's true: Leslie's unconventional willingness to run with the boys and sit next to them must have been learned from her family. They must have taught her to pursue her own interests (like running) rather than just doing whatever the other girls are doing at school. In that way, Leslie's family must be very different from Jesse's: his parents don't show friendliness or warmth to him at all.

In Chapter 4, we learn that Leslie's family lived in a fancier suburban area (Arlington) before moving to Jesse's town, and like I mentioned, we find out that they used to be wealthy and made a choice to live more simply. That means they've had vastly different life experiences than Jesse's family has. It's clear that Leslie's family still has money saved up (she tells Jesse that money isn't a problem for her family) and yet they don't have a television in their house! This frugal-by-choice lifestyle that Leslie's family leads is vastly different from Jesse's family, whose members struggle hard to earn any scraps of luxury they can, like new clothes for the older girls to wear on the first day of school.

Lastly, as Chapter 4 comes to a close and we see Leslie's vivid creativity in inventing Terabithia, we realize that Leslie's family must have encouraged her imagination. Jesse's family, in contrast, discourages his imaginative drawings and wants him to focus on getting his chores done.

Explain the reference to Pulman's Bush in "The Doll's House" by Katherine Mansfield.

Aunt Beryl comes from the Burnell family. This family is of a certain income level, much higher than the Kelveys. Aunt Beryl believes that class distinctions are important. She doesn't think the Burnell children should associate or even talk to the Kelvey children. Aunt Beryl is not alone. The other children at school and even the teachers treat the Kelveys differently. This community, with some exceptions (i. e. Kezia), have embraced the idea that the wealthy families are somehow better than the poorer families. This misguided notion is fully illustrated when Aunt Beryl scolds Lil and Else and drives them away. The point is that Aunt Beryl has this notion that she is better than the Kelveys, simply because the family she comes from has more money. She has a privileged notion of herself and therefore has a warped vision of what being a good person really is. 

It should come as no surprise that she is flawed in other ways. She is terrified by the letter and terrified at the idea that Willie Brent might come to the house: 

A letter had come from Willie Brent, a terrifying, threatening letter, saying if she did not meet him that evening in Pulman's Bush, he'd come to the front door and ask the reason why! But now that she had frightened those little rats of Kelveys and given Kezia a good scolding, her heart felt lighter. That ghastly pressure was gone. She went back to the house humming. 

There is the distinct possibility that Willie is a man she is having some kind of affair with. He wants to meet with her in secret and threatens to come to the house if she does not. She is worried about this and to make herself feel better, she belittles the Kelvey girls. This is a classic case of the narcissistic self-glorifying person who feels better making others feel bad. In asserting her (false) superiority over the Kelveys, she feels better herself. 

How does body weight affect respiratory rate during exercise?

Carrying around excess body weight puts a great deal of strain on the entire body, including the respiratory system. People who are overweight have to work harder to do the same exact things that a person in the healthy weight range has to do. The more strenuously we exercise the more oxygen and nutrients need to be delivered to our bodies. The larger the body, the more oxygen and nutrients we need. As we continue to exercise our respirations become even faster in order to deliver what we need to survive. In addition, depending on how heavy a person is, extra weight can put pressure on the area around our lungs and heart which can cause additional labored breathing, increasing our rate of respiration even more. 

Why do Sam and Bill need two thousand dollars?

In "The Ransom of Red Chief," Sam, the narrator, and his sidekick, Bill Driscoll, are petty criminals. They seem to make their living by moving from place to place, choosing areas where the law enforcement is not particularly strong. At the time the story opens, the two are in in Southern Alabama near a town called Summit. Their next major crime they want to pull off is a "fraudulent town-lot scheme in Western Illinois." This plan is not explained in any more detail than this. However, to pull off the crime requires a $2,600 investment. They currently have $600, so they need to "raise" $2000 more.

What might the "fraudulent town-lot scheme" entail? Presumably a new town was being laid out in Western Illinois. If the lots cost, say, $260 each, they could purchase ten lots. Then they could sell each lot to several different people, so they could potentially triple or quadruple their money over a period of a few weeks. The idea is that by the time the buyers realize that multiple people have purchased the same lot, Sam and Bill would have moved on to their next scheme. Whether this land scheme would have worked as they envisioned it is unknown, but given the unexpected way their kidnapping venture played out, perhaps Sam and Bill should consider going straight.

What is the theme of Act 3/Scene 3/Lines 64-74 in Romeo and Juliet?

In Act III, Scene 3 of Romeo and Juliet, Romeo is at his most immature. He spends most of the scene whining about his predicament. Earlier in Act III, in a fit of rage, he enacts revenge upon Tybalt for the death of Mercutio. He actually was at fault for his friend's death as he tried to get between the two duelists and Mercutio was inadvertently stabbed.

Shakespeare's theme in lines 64-74 of the scene is to imply there is a generation gap between Romeo and Friar Lawrence. Moreover, there is also the fact that, since he is a priest, and bound to celibacy, the Friar doesn't know about the love between a man and a woman. Romeo thinks the Friar cannot possibly understand what Romeo is going through. He has been banished and cannot be with Juliet. The Friar can't fathom why Romeo would throw himself on the ground and writhe in misery. The Friar has never experienced the depth of emotion Romeo now feels for the loss of access to Juliet.

Later in the scene, the older man brings up good reasons why Romeo should not fall into such depression. He tells Romeo to go to Juliet and consummate the marriage and then go to Mantua and be patient. When the time comes and sentiments have died down, the Friar will announce the news about Romeo and Juliet. He assures Romeo that things will work out. Unfortunately, fate has a different agenda.

Which events are important in Gary Schmidt's Okay for Now?

The first important event is the moment Doug meets and starts to become friends with Lil in the opening chapter. They don't hit it off the first time they meet because she thinks he looks like a "skinny thug" and locks up her bike, and he acts like a jerk. The next time she sees him, however, she brings him a coke from her father's deli and challenges him to drink it down in an uninterrupted series of gulps. She then offers him a delivery job at her father's deli.

A second major event is the moment Mr. Powell sees Doug pretending to recreate John James Audubon's drawing of the Arctic tern in chapter 2. Mr. Powell recognizes Doug's genuine admiration and interest and offers to teach him how to draw. At first, Doug rejects the offer; however, by chapter 3, Mr. Powell has persuaded him. These drawing lessons become a critical way for Doug to begin overcoming his tribulations. As he notes in the final chapter of the book, Mr. Powell "taught [him] that sometimes, art can make you forget everything else all around you" (Chapter 10). His drawing lessons also help Doug gain confidence, enabling him to tackle problems around him, such as finding ways to return the sold Audubon plates back the book in the library.

Other major events in the story concern Doug's brave pursuits in restoring the sold portraits of the birds to the library. Everywhere he goes, he notes who is in possession of a plate. He then either boldly expresses his opinion that the plate really belongs in the library or negotiates with the person to have the plate returned to the library. For example, Doug witnesses one of Mr. Ballard's employees frame the plate titled Yellow Shank. When Mr. Ballard asks Doug where he thinks the picture should go, Doug very boldly replies, "I think it belongs back in the book" (Chapter 5). Mr. Ballard is surprised but very quickly comes to agree with Doug and orders it to be returned to the library. Doug's boldness with Mr. Ballard and success in achieving his goal shows us how much Doug is beginning to mature. He achieves many other great accomplishments throughout the book due to his boldness.

This is my thesis: The authors of The Dragon Can't Dance and I, Tituba, the Black Witch of Salem juxtapose hyper-sexualized women and cold,...

What an interesting topic and thesis! 

The hyper-sexualization of women that occurs within the book is similar to how it occurred in the real world of the 17th century - women who had sex outside of marriage were considered hyper-sexual.

Several of the women in I, Tituba fit this bill, but let's look at Tituba and Hester. Both of these women have sex outside of marriage at some point and become pregnant as a result. Unfortunately, sex outside of marriage can and often did also include non-consensual sex (rape). In the case of Abena and Tituba we see that each has experienced this, as well. Women were expected to adhere to very strict roles within their community, including being models of faith and morality, and those who did not conform faced severe repercussions.

"In the late 1600s, trials for fornication and infanticide specifically directed at women increased"(Gender Roles in Colonial America).

An analysis of how society viewed Tituba or Hester as a hyper-sexualized woman would be appropriate, as their behavior and relationships with men in the novel could have caused them to be viewed as such.

Abena could be analyzed as a cold and unpleasant woman, or at least mother, in her relationship with Tituba. Because Tituba is the product of a rape, Abena cannot look at her daughter without connecting her to the way in which she was conceived. In fact, Abena does not really begin to enjoy any part of life much until Yao shows her love and she grows to love him back, but even this is short-lived. Her relationship with Tituba, however, is not close, affectionate, or loving. In many ways, both Abena and Tituba are victims of Abena's rape.

How does “A Rose for Emily” represent the difference between the Old South and the New South?

William Faulkner’s work often showcases the changing times in southern society, and no story does this more effectively or more compactly than his short story “A Rose for Emily.” In this story, obsolete ideas and traditions from pre-Civil War days clash with the more modern ways of the New South. We see this exemplified in the story of Miss Emily Greirson, the remaining member of an aristocratic family that once embodied the glory days of the Old South.

The Old South is represented by Miss Emily herself and in the once-grand house she still inhabits. Once ornate and pristine, the house has fallen into decay, representing the crumbling of the Old South. As the remaining member of the Greirson family and the social status associated with it, Miss Emily too is a representative of a time and place that no longer exist. The world has moved on, but Miss Emily and her home have not. The best example of this is the tax bills she continually ignores, claiming an exemption granted by a former mayor of the city who has long been dead.

Another example is Miss Emily’s beau, a young laborer from the North who comes to make changes to the town. Surprising everyone, Miss Emily becomes infatuated with Homer Barron, but this unlikely pairing is eventually doomed, suggesting once again the clash of the Old South and the New. It is not until the end of the story that we learn that Homer Barron has remained – a corpse – in an upstairs bedroom of Miss Emily’s home. Furthermore, evidence suggests that Miss Emily has lain by his side the whole time. Not able to reconcile the Old South with the New, she remained imprisoned in her decaying home with the decaying body of her lover, until they were ultimately united in death.

Explain the Endocrine system and its glands with sufficient details.

The endocrine system is made up of all hormone-producing glands that are responsible for regulating the different organs and organ processes in the body. This includes; tissue function, reproduction, metabolism, sleep, growth and body protection from pathogens, among many other body processes. The glands work by receiving instructions from the nervous system and chemical receptors in the blood. 

The Pituitary gland is a small gland connected to the hypothalamus. It serves a number of functions with some being gender specific. In women, it is responsible for the release of Oxytocin, an essential hormone responsible for the onset of contractions during childbirth and the release of breast milk. It is also responsible for the release of Prolactin, which is responsible for breast milk production. In both sexes, the pituitary gland produces the Luteinizing hormone, which is responsible for the production of sex hormones in the ovaries and testes. Further, it produces the Follicle stimulating hormone, which is responsible for the production of gametes in the ova and sperm. The glands are also responsible for the production of Human growth hormone, which is responsible for growth and repair of a variety of tissues in the body. The glands produce the Thyroid stimulating hormone and the Adrenocorticotropic hormone, which stimulates the adrenal cortex to produce its hormones.

The Thyroid gland, which is located at the base of the neck, is responsible for the production of the Calcitonin, Triiodothyronine and Thyroxine hormones. Calcitonin is responsible for calcium ion regulation in the blood. Triiodothyronine and Thyroxine are responsible for the regulation of the body’s metabolic rate.
The Parathyroid glands, which are located on the side of the thyroid gland, are responsible for the production of the parathyroid hormone. The parathyroid hormone is responsible for calcium ion homeostasis. Further, the hormone conserves the calcium ions by triggering the kidneys to return the filtered out ions.

The Adrenal glands, which are located next to the kidneys, are further divided into two; the Adrenal medulla and the Adrenal cortex. The Adrenal medulla is responsible for the production of epinephrine and norepinephrine, the two hormones responsible for the “fight or flight” response to stress or danger. The Adrenal cortex is responsible for the production of Glucocorticoids, Mineralocorticoids and Androgens. The Glucocorticoids are responsible for the breakdown of proteins into glucose. The Mineralocorticoids are responsible for the regulation of mineral ions in the body. Androgens are also produced in the adrenal cortex to regulate growth in cells connected to the male hormones.

The Pancreas is a large gland located in the abdominal cavity. It is responsible for the regulation of sugar levels in the blood. To increase blood sugar, the pancreas produces glucagon, which triggers the liver to break down glycogen into glucose. It is the glucose that is then released into the bloodstream. To reduce the blood sugar levels, the pancreas produces insulin. Insulin triggers the absorption of glucose from the blood, which is then stored in the cells as glycogen.

The Gonads (ovaries and testes) are a combination of organs and glands responsible for the production of the body’s sex hormones. The sex hormones determine the secondary sex characteristics in adult males and females.

What was the social climate like during Shakespeare's time? How does it compare to the social climate of Romeo and Juliet?

Even though the play is set in Italy, there are definite parallels between some of the social aspects of Romeo and Juliet and life in Elizabethan England during Shakespeare’s time. Men were considered to be in control of the household, which included making decisions for wives and daughters. In the upper class, fathers often chose their daughters’ husbands based on what would be an advantageous match for the family either financially or socially. There is some evidence that the young women had a little input into the choice, but not a lot.

Feuding was common, especially among the upper classes. They hoped to increase their property and power. Servants of the lords would carry on the feud in the streets, as they did in Romeo and Juliet.

Politically, England was strong and stable. They had just defeated the Spanish armada and Queen Elizabeth was a popular and decisive leader.

Aristocrats would have had education, but the average person did not. They practiced a trade or worked as servants or other low-paying jobs. There was a significant amount of unemployment.

Also, people of all social classes were extremely superstitious and believed in ghosts, witches, alchemy, astrology, fairies, etc. 

For entertainment, the people of the time enjoyed theater, fairs, festivals, and gaming activities like dice, cards, and horseracing. A major event, such as the Queen’s birthday, would require a full pageant that would be weeks in the planning, with games, spectacles, shows, music, feasting, and so forth. Wealthy aristocrats often held masquerades and lavish parties.

Which of the following can't be broken down by chemical change? Sulfuric acid, ammonia, water, or potassium.

Potassium can't be broken down by chemical change because it's an element, which is the simplest form of matter. Sulfuric acid, ammonia and water are all compounds composed of elements. Compounds can be broken down into simpler compounds or elements by a chemical reaction.

You can tell if a substance is an element or compound by its chemical formula. The formula for a compound show the elements of which it's composed. Here are the formulas for the substances in the question:

sulfuric acid: `H_2SO_4`

ammonia: `NH_3`

water: `H_2O`

potassium: `K`

The formula for sulfuric acid, for example, shows that it contains the elements hydrogen, sulfur and oxygen. During a chemical reaction bonds between the atoms in a molecule are broken.

Elements are made of atoms, which are the smallest particles of matter that retain the properties of that matter. An atom can be broken down into smaller particles in a nuclear reaction, but the sub-atomic particles that result are identical regardless of the type of atom from which they came. In other words, every gold atom has the properties of every other gold atom but a proton, neutron or electron from a gold atom is no different than any other proton, neutron or electron.

What is the setting and what are the major events of pages 107-132 of Part Three of Fahrenheit 451?

There are two key events in this section of Fahrenheit 451.

First of all, using Faber's house as the setting, Montag visits Faber and they have a discussion about the fireman's sudden crisis of identity. In their conversation, Faber acts as a mentor to Montag: he teaches him that "books themselves are not magical" but that, in fact, their importance lies in the message they contain. Together, Montag and Faber develop an "insidious plan" to print more books and plant them in firemen's houses. They seek to bring down the system from the inside and reintroduce books and reading into this highly censored society.

Secondly, back at home, Montag's wife, Mildred, is entertaining two friends, Mrs. Phelps and Mrs. Bowles. As the women discuss the impending war, Montag suddenly produces a book and tells the ladies that he is going to read a poem. The poem is the (very apt) "Dover Beach," and it has a profound effect on everyone in the house. Mrs. Phelps is, arguably, the most overcome by the poem's message because it makes her "sob uncontrollably." This prompts anger from Mrs. Bowles, who believes that poems are worthless because all they do is make people upset.

While Montag later expresses guilt about upsetting Mrs. Phelps ("I made them unhappier than they have been in years"), it does not deter him from carrying out his plan. This section ends with Montag hiding a number of his books in the bushes outside so that Mildred cannot burn them.

Why is Curley's wife not responsible for Lennie's death in Of Mice and Men?

Curley’s wife is not responsible for Lennie’s death because she was just lonely and trying to talk to him.

Curley’s wife is manipulative. She tries to talk to Lennie because she thinks that she can talk to him like other men.  However, she is glad that he is a little different. Lennie is slow, and does not think like an adult man. Curley’s wife leads a very lonely existence and when she approaches Lennie, she just wants someone to talk to.

There are no other women on the ranch. Steinbeck does not even give Curley’s wife a name, symbolizing how she is objectified. She is just a woman, not a person.

When George first learns about Curley’s wife, he decides she is dangerous based on Curley’s personality and the way she is described.

“Well, stick around an’ keep your eyes open. You’ll see plenty. She ain’t concealin’ nothing. I never seen nobody like her. She got the eye goin’ all the time on everybody. I bet she even gives the stable buck the eye. I don’t know what the hell she wants.” (Ch. 3)

Because of this reputation, all of the men avoid Curley’s wife. She does not have any friends on the ranch among women or men. All she has is Curley, and he is jealous and crude.

We can tell that Curley’s wife is lonely by the fact that she sought out Lennie in the first place. Most women would not try to talk to someone like Lennie. Curley’s wife is desperate, though. She wants someone who will not judge her.

Lennie is afraid to talk to her at first, because he thinks he will get in trouble. He already broke Curley’s hand when he tried to start a fight. When Lennie tells her he is not supposed to talk to her, she gets mad.

Her face grew angry. “Wha’s the matter with me?” she cried. “Ain’t I got a right to talk to nobody? Whatta they think I am, anyways? You’re a nice guy. I don’t know why I can’t talk to you. I ain’t doin’ no harm to you.” (Ch. 4)

Curley’s wife might have sought Lennie out, but there is no way she knew he was going to kill her. Just because he had killed a puppy does not mean that he would kill a woman. 

Curley’s wife does inadvertently cause Lennie’s death because he killed her when she went to visit him, but it was not her fault. George decided that Lennie was too dangerous to be left alive, and he was just doing what he thought was best for Lennie and anyone he might encounter.

What happens in Chapter 8 of So Far From the Bamboo Grove?

In Chapter 8, Yoko's patience with the trash man allows her to enjoy a conversation with him despite his speech impediment. Later, Yoko discovers that the girls in the classroom have made an insulting drawing about her two rucksacks; however, the trash man suddenly materializes and tears up the drawing.

Meanwhile, Yoko doesn't know how to break the news to Ko that she no longer wishes to attend school. As the days progress, the only thing she has to look forward to is her mother's return. One Friday, her mother does return, and Yoko is ecstatic. However, her mother gravely informs her that her maternal grandparents have died in the July bombing, along with her paternal grandparents. As they converse, Yoko realizes that her mother is sick. She races to get her mother some water from the well and fervently hopes that Ko will soon be back from school.

Sadly, the girls' mother dies before Ko returns. Because the girls cannot afford a casket, they decide to have their mother cremated. Mrs. Masuda, a woman who regularly frequents the train station, offers to go to the crematorium with the girls. Both Ko and Yoko are in such a state of grief that they can only acquiesce. Eventually, Mrs. Masuda offers the girls a place to live; their living space will be a room above the clog factory owned by her and her husband.

The girls set to work to clean up the room, as it has not been cleaned in a while. After they are done, they set up an altar in their mother's memory and place her mess-kit urn in front of the altar. In front of the urn, the girls also place their mother's sword and her canteen filled with small, maple branches.

How does Edith Wharton explore the theme of marriage in The House of Mirth?

Wharton explores and critiques marriage primarily through her main character,  Lily Bart. Lily is beautiful, gracious, intelligent and has been raised in high society, but has very little money. She has been groomed for one destiny alone, to make a "good" marriage. A good marriage involves wedding a wealthy man of her social class. While she "was beginning to have fits of rebellion" against this path, and while "she longed to make an independent life for herself," Lily simply cannot overcome her social indoctrination of seeing marriage as the only legitimate "career" goal for a woman. Much of the novel explores her struggle with this. She sees that married society women, like Judy Trenor and Bertha Dorset, wield a great deal of money, power and status through marriage. Lily wants that, but she also has a sense of integrity that prevents her from jumping heedlessly into a loveless marriage just for money and status. 

Lily is trapped between her own integrity, which society does not encourage her to develop, and her desire for a rich, comfortable, easy life. For example, Wharton explores  the dilemmas the marriage market creates for Lily's integrity as she is on the verge of snagging the wealthy Percy Fryce, but veers away from him because she doesn't love him and doesn't merely want to manipulate him into marriage.

Wharton does depict at least one woman, Gerty Farish, who is single and finds success as a social worker. Wharton's prmary marriage theme, however, shows that being trained, as Lily was, to sell yourself on the marriage market warps and destroys women. 

What did Scout learn in Chapter 11?

In Chapter 11 of To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout learned what true courage looks like. After Mrs. Dubose insulted Atticus to the children, Jem “simply went mad” and beat the tops off of her camellia bushes with the baton he had just bought Scout with his twelfth birthday money, and then snapped the baton. As a punishment, Jem is charged to read to the old lady six days a week for a month, for a couple of hours after school. Scout tagged along, giving our narrator a front row seat to the condition of the ailing woman. Toward the end of each of their sessions, Mrs. Dubose would fall into “fits”, unable to focus on her surroundings or control her face. Every day, the sessions grew longer and longer, and her fits eventually passed. About a month after Jem was released from his duties, Mrs. Dubose passed away. Atticus explains to the children that her fits were caused by her morphine addiction. Scout learns that Mrs. Dubose knew she was going to die, and painfully, but she wanted to go according to her values, “beholden to nothing and nobody”. The old woman lived her last few months fighting her addiction, suffering greatly, even though she knew that she would soon pass anyway. Atticus explained:

“I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do. Mrs. Dubose won, all ninety-eight pounds of her. According to her views, she died beholden to nothing and nobody. She was the bravest person I ever knew.”

From the story "Columbus and the Egg," which event was first, which event was last?

Columbus discovered the Americas first.  He sailed for Spain since the Spanish were willing to fund his journey.  He, therefore, returned to Spain once he had discovered the New World. He was a hero, and everyone applauded his endeavor. While he was home, a man threw a party for him to congratulate him.  Everyone admired him, but jealousy did raise its ugly head.  Some of the men told him that he hadn’t done such a great deed.  Anyone could have done the same thing. “It was the simplest thing.” (pg 1) So Columbus challenged them to make a raw egg stand on its end. They tried, and when they couldn’t do it, he proceeded to show them how it could be done.  His remark to them was that something looks easy once you know how to do it. So, Columbus discovered the Americas first, and only after he had returned to Spain did the event with the egg take place.

What would be the complementary base pair sequence for this sequence of DNA? ATCGTA

DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid and is responsible for carrying the genetic instructions in organisms. It is a double-stranded molecule, that is, the molecule has two parts (or rather, chains) which are connected to each other. A DNA molecule has a number of bases in it. These include the purine bases (such as adenine and guanine) and pyrimidine bases (such as thymine and cytosine). These bases pair up with a complementary base and that is how the complementary strands of DNA molecules are connected to each other. For reference, adenine (or A) always pairs up with thymine (or T). Similarly, cytosine (or C) always pairs up with guanine (or G). 

Thus, if the DNA molecule sequence on one of the strands is ATCGTA, the complementary strand will be TAGCAT.

Hope this helps.

The policy of containment is an example of A. strategic policy. B. crisis policy. C. structural defense policy. D. partisan defense policy. E....

The policy of containment was the main American foreign policy during the Cold War.  The main idea of this policy was that the US would try to prevent communism from spreading outside of where it already existed.  The US was not committed to trying to roll communism back, but simply did not want it to go any further.

From this, we can see that containment was a strategic policy.  A strategic policy can be defined as a country’s basic stance with regard to a given issue or a given major player in international relations.  This means that containment was a strategic policy.  It was the United States’ basic stance with regard to communism, which was the main issue in international relations during the Cold War.

What recommendations can you give to educators regarding the sociological foundations of education?

Let us start by differentiating between informal education (the natural ability of the brain to gather experience and data into meaningful patterns) and those “formal” education instruments designed and implemented by organizational structures, from the parent/family organization to the state-designed and operated “public school systems” to the private institutions under someone’s jurisdiction (for example, religious schools, expensive boarding schools, business-run learning institutions, and colleges). These latter types are socially-driven from several directions.

First, the “controlling body” has an agenda, simply put, to perpetuate itself and its “world." For example, a public grade school in the South will slant its History courses, its political courses, even its scientific courses toward the perpetuation of Southern culture; even its language “rules” will differ from, say, a New England public school.  A Christian school will base all of its education on Christian principles.

Secondly, the grading or scoring of the education will have a sociological bias, based on that society’s measurements.

Thirdly, the employment opportunities, a very important social aspect of formal education, will depend on the sociological atmosphere. A teacher, then, must be careful about separating those sociological aspects from “pure” education – mathematics, for example, is virtually free of social pressure (other than its importance in that society). History, on the other hand, is very susceptible to the teacher’s and the society’s bias.

But the most pressing issue is the value of an education in society.  It's the teacher's responsibility to stress the value of an education to his/her students.

How does filial ingratitude leads to suffering in King Lear? In what way does this relate to his unjust decision?

William Shakespeare's King Lear is a play that centers around themes of filial ingratitude. At the beginning of the play, Lear decides to divide his kingdom among his three daughters. Rather than following the advice of his advisers, he asks each daughter to declare her love for him. The evil sisters Regan and Goneril flatter the king outrageously, conniving to inherit his estate, but Cordelia, the honest daughter speaks simply and plainly. Lear foolishly divides his estate between the two evil sisters, assuming that out of gratitude they will care for him in his old age.

Instead, he discovers that they are mean-spirited and lacking in filial piety, gradually stripping him of his escort and privileges and leaving him to starve. Thus his sufferings are due to lack of filial piety but also to his unjust decision to spurn his truly loving daughter Cordelia in favor of her dishonest, flattering sisters. 

The subplot concerning Gloucester and Edmund is similar, with Gloucester first favoring the evil Edmund, his illegitimate son, who turns on him causing him to suffer only to be rescued by his spurned son Edgar. 

The theme of filial ingratitude is best expressed in the famous exclamation:

"How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child!"

Which alloy of zinc is used in voltaic cell?

Voltaic cells are the electrochemical cells that generate electricity. In common usage these cells are known as batteries (since a battery contains one or more of such cells). These cells operate on redox reactions between metals. In simple terms, one metal electrode loses electrons and the other electrode gains them. This flow of electrons generates electricity. Once the chemical reaction is done, the battery discharges. 

Copper and zinc are commonly used as the electrodes, with the zinc anode undergoing oxidation (losing electrons) and the copper cathode undergoing reduction (gaining electrons), thus completing the redox reaction. 

An alloy is a heterogeneous mixture of two or more metal elements. In the case of voltaic cells, we use pure metals as electrodes and not their alloys. So, we use pure zinc and not its alloy in a voltaic cell.

Hope this helps. 

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, what upsets Scout about her costume just before the pageant? What literary device is at work here?

After Mrs. Merriweather organizes a pageant at the school to honor Maycomb's agriculture, Scout is assigned to play the role of a cured ham. Mrs. Crenshaw, a seamstress, makes the costume out of bent chicken wire and brown cloth with two peepholes cut into it. Although Scout recognizes that Mrs. Crenshaw did a "fine job" designing the costume, she has several complaints: it's too hot, too tight of a fit, it does not allow her to scratch her itchy nose, and she could not get out of it alone.

Scout drops her costume off backstage before the pageant begins and explores the Halloween carnival that has been set up to keep the children out of trouble. When she returns, she makes a sad discovery: "Somebody's mashed my costume." Mrs. Merriweather swoops in to save the day, re-shaping the chicken wire to look like a ham once again.

Although Scout's costume is ultimately okay, her complaints about it act as foreshadowing of the near-tragedy that occurs after the pageant. Walking home alone, Scout and Jem are accosted by Bob Ewell. As she had already mentioned, Scout cannot escape the ham costume on her own, and the wire meshing gets crushed, trapping her in a "wire prison." Although Jem tries to pull her to her feet, she is so entangled in the costume that it cannot be done.  While the costume does prevent Scout from running away, it also protects her, acting as armor against the vicious beating of Ewell. While Jem gets truly thrashed and winds up with a broken arm, Scout manages to get away with only a bump on her forehead. 

Where do babies come from?

Babies come from the fertilization of a female’s egg with a male’s sperm. Conception occurs after the ovulation of a female’s egg and ejaculation of a male’s sperm. Eggs and sperm are called gametes, or sex cells. Each gamete contains the haploid number (n) of chromosomes. Fertilization is the union of an egg and sperm. Upon contact with an egg, a sperm produces enzymes that allow it to penetrate the jelly coat of the egg cell. The union of egg and sperm chromosomes reestablishes the diploid number (2n) of chromosomes for a species. This fertilized egg is called a zygote. The zygote contains all the genetic information required to make an individual. The zygote then begins to undergo mitosis. Initially, all cells are the same. As the embryo begins to grow, specialization of cells occurs. Differentiation of stem cells is due to which parts of the DNA are activated. Eventually, a fetus is developed within the mother’s uterus. After full term, the mother gives birth.

How, according to Hamlet, could Alexander become the "stopper for a bung hole?"

This quote is from Act V, Scene 1 of Hamlet, where the prince, having returned from England, encounters the gravediggers. After seeing the skull of Yorick (the late court jester who Hamlet knew as a child) Hamlet thinks for a while on mortality. What he is saying, more or less, is that the bodies of all of us, even great men like Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar, will die, decompose, and return to the earth. He elaborates:

Alexander died, Alexander was buried, Alexander returneth
into dust; the dust is earth; of earth we make loam;
and why of that loam, whereto he was converted, might
they not stop a beer barrel?

We may think this line of thinking very morbid and odd--indeed, Horatio says as much in response, but it is very much a consistent theme. Hamlet makes similar remarks earlier in the play, where he describes how the body of Polonius is being eaten by worms, and later in the same scene (Act 4, Scene 3) he reminds Claudius that even a king, after his death, may "make a progress through the guts of a beggar" who eats a fish that ate a worm that ate the decaying body of the monarch. Throughout the play, Hamlet is obsessed by death, and these quotes reveal how preoccupied he really is. They are also typical of his dark, yet unfailingly profound, wit.

In Ayn Rand's Anthem, what is the great rebirth?

The main character in Rand's Anthem is named Equality 7-2521 and he lives in a community that has brain-washed everyone into believing that man must live for the community and not for himself. The government, called the World Council, tells the people that there was a Great Rebirth, or a time that restructured society. This Great Rebirth followed what they call the Unmentionable Times. Equality doesn't know much about those times because they don't teach the children about what society was like before the Great Rebirth. Equality does have an inkling of it though, and states it as follows:

"It is only the Old Ones who whisper about it in the evenings, in the Home of the Useless. They whisper many strange things, of the towers which rose to the sky, in those Unmentionable Times, and of the wagons which moved without horses, and of the lights which burned without flame. But those times were evil. And those times passed away, when men saw the Great Truth which is this: that all men are one and that there is no will save the will of all men together" (19-20).

The above passage shows that the people are taught that a Great Truth was recognized during the Unmentionable Times and that started the Great Rebirth. The "truth" is as stated above, that all men are one whole body, not separate individuals. This way of thinking makes it so each man and woman will give up his or her desires to live for him or herself, and live for the benefit and success of the community. That is to say, it is unlawful for a person to be ambitious or to live to accomplish their own dreams. There is only one goal: to live as a member of the community and obey without seeking one's own ambition or questioning the government.

Discuss how feminist theorists understand gender?

There are of course a wide range of perspectives within feminist theory. The most widely discussed concepts of the feminist understanding of gender are as follows:

Gender in NOT a binary: This means that the traditional concept of gender (that there are only two genders: male and female) is entirely false. Not only is there a wide spectrum of genders between the so-called male and female ideals, there are also a great deal of genders which exist outside of this binary entirely.

Gender is separate from biological sex: This part somewhat depends on whether you are studying essentialist or non-essentialist feminism, but for the most part feminist theory states a person's gender is nothing more than a collection of behaviors. Theorists call these behaviors a gender performative. Gender behavior is mostly defined by societal pressures and personal choices, not biology.

Gender is fluid: Like all performances, no person will perform exactly the same behaviors for an entire life. Gender can change, both slowly over time, and at times even quickly to adapt to circumstances.  

Gender can be a form of oppression: By forcing people into gender roles or discouraging people from performing their chosen gender, society forces both men and women into submissive roles. This reinforces institutionalized oppression within societies.

Gender theory is an entire field that goes well beyond literary studies. I hope this helps you get started.

What are Atticus Finch's morals and values compared to Bob Ewell's morals and values?

Atticus Finch is the morally upright character in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, and Bob Ewell is his foil. These two characters have contrasting morals and values. Atticus values education and moral development. He believes in equality, justice, and tolerance. Atticus courageously defends Tom Robinson in front of a prejudiced jury and displays integrity in multiple scenes throughout the novel. He keeps his "cool" in adverse situations and does not react with anger when community members threaten and insult him for defending Tom. Atticus also believes in humility and hard work. Atticus values the truth and never lies to his children or the community members of Maycomb.

Bob Ewell is the novel's antagonist who attempts to kill Scout and Jem. Bob has no morals and is the most disgraceful character in the novel. He is willing to go to extreme lengths to get revenge, and it is even suggested that he sexually molests his own daughter. He values his reputation and reacts with anger after Atticus reveals he was responsible for beating his daughter. Bob's bruised ego is his motivation to "get even" with everyone who wronged him during the trial. Bob values traditional Southern ideas of white supremacy, which is why he assaults his daughter after witnessing her seduce a black man. Bob obviously does not value his children or education. He leaves Mayella to raise the children and does not care that Burris doesn't attend school.

Do you think Fortunato insulted Montresor on purpose? Why or why not?

I do believe Fortunato insulted Montresor on purpose. Although Montresor does seem very sensitive and defensive, especially in the first line of the story -- a line that describes "The thousand injuries" Fortunato had inflicted on Montresor -- readers get to see Fortunato insult him, and others, in the context of the story itself.

First, Fortunato is quite willing to insult Luchesi, another local wine connoisseur who some say possesses a "taste [that] is a match for [Fortunato's]." He says, scoffing, that "Luchesi cannot tell Amontillado from Sherry." Fortunato even repeats this insult a few lines later, saying, "Amontillado! You have been imposed upon. And as for Luchesi, he cannot distinguish Sherry from Amontillado." Without hesitation, Fortunato is willing to insult both Montresor's taste as well as Luchesi's. His pride is clearly immense, and he is rather arrogant as well -- both possible motivators for insulting anyone he feels is beneath him.

Further, Fortunato seems to enjoy the idea that Montresor is not a member of the brotherhood of Freemasons. He tests Montresor by performing some kind of secret gesture, some "grotesque" movement in which he casts a bottle upwards. When Montresor claims that he is a Freemason, Fortunato replies, "'You? Impossible! A mason?'" He asks for a sign in order to verify Montresor's claim. Clearly Fortunato is a member of this brotherhood and tries to lord it over Montresor for no reason other than to claim his own superiority. In fact, Montresor is being particularly solicitous about Fortunato's health and offering him copious amounts of wine: both (seemingly) friendly gestures. However, Fortunato clearly enjoys his feeling of superiority, and this makes me quite sure that he has, indeed, purposely wounded Montresor in the past.

How does totalitarianism differ from democracy?

Totalitarianism is a system in which government is extremely centralized and all power is held by the government rather than by the people. This power is limitless, controlling everything from the economy and religion to culture and education, and this power extends to controlling the private lives of citizens. 

The Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin, Germany under Adolf Hitler, and Italy under Benito Mussolini are some of the most notable and well-known examples of totalitarian governments. 

A democracy is a political system in which power is supposed to be held by the entire population ("the people"). The people are given the right to vote and choose their own elected officials. Key differences between the two include: 

Speech - freedom of speech is essential to democracies, while totalitarian governments often depend on censorship to thrive, often going so far as to forbid speaking negatively of the government. 

Media - democracies generally maintain freedom of the press while censorship is again necessary for a totalitarian government to maintain its absolute power.

Leadership - totalitarian governments often revolve around a dictator with near-absolute power, while democracies have either a president, a parliament, or direct democracy in which all members of government have equal rights (Switzerland is an example of this form of democracy). 

In The Giver, who was the former Receiver of Memories?

We are shown the answer to this question in Chapter 18 of The Giver.  (I have this book on Kindle and cannot give page numbers.)  We find that a Receiver of Memories was selected ten years before Jonas but that she did not work out.  She was a girl named Rosemary.

In Chapter 18, the Giver answers Jonas’s questions about the previous Receiver.  He tells Jonas that he had loved the previous receiver just as he now feels love for Jonas.  He tells Jonas how much it hurt him to have to transmit painful memories to the previous Receiver.  Jonas’s parents have told him that the previous Receiver’s name was no longer to be spoken in the community, but the Giver tells Jonas that it was Rosemary.

The Giver goes on to tell Jonas that Rosemary eventually became unable to handle the weight of the memories he was giving her.  One day, she kissed the Giver on the cheek at the end of their session.  She never came back again because, instead, she went to the Chief Elder and asked to be released.  Since this was not prohibited in the rules at that time (it was prohibited by the rules when Jonas was selected), the release was granted and disaster ensued as the memories Rosemary had been given came back to the community.

So, the name of the previous Receiver of Memories was Rosemary.  At the very end of Chapter 20, you will find out an important and startling (and heartbreaking) fact about her and The Giver.

Is Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest a melodrama, a comedy of manners, or both?

Oscar Wilde's play The Importance of Being Earnest certainly qualifies as a comedy of manners.  A comedy of manners is a work that humorously satirizes the manners of a particular social group, typically the upper class (upper-class problems tend to have more potential for humor than lower-class problems: for example, a woman in the upper class might spend hours trying to figure out what to wear to an important party while a lower-class woman might spend hours trying to figure out what to feed her hungry children).  Classifying the work as a satire means that the text would not only point out flaws in this group but would also suggest that changes should be made to reduce or eliminate those flaws.  In the play, we definitely see Wilde poking fun at the upper class, and especially their frivolity and obsession with appearances.

However, the play cannot be characterized as a melodrama because -- though it has exaggerated characters (and some exciting events) -- it is not intended to appeal to the audience's emotions.  We are supposed to laugh at these characters and the absurd situations they create for themselves; we are not supposed to be affected in some highly emotional way.  Consider the scene where Jack and Algernon are eating muffins; we laugh at the sheer ridiculousness of the situation: they fight over who has eaten more muffins and whether or not it is appropriate to eat muffins when one is upset.  Such scenes are absolutely designed to point out the absurdity and frivolity of upper-class problems in a humorous way, not to force the reader into some deep feelings about muffin-eating propriety.

What is Snowball's dream for the windmill? What is Napoleon's thinking about the windmill?

In Chapter 5, we learn that Snowball has been reading back issues of Farmer and Stockbreeder, so he is making a real effort to learn about farming and how to make their lives better. When Snowball shares these ideas with the other animals, Napoleon says Snowball's plans "would come to nothing, and seemed to be biding his time." This is one of many points Snowball and Napoleon disagree on. Snowball wants to incite rebellions in other farms. Napoleon wants to focus on their own farm. 

So, it is not surprising when Napoleon and Snowball disagree on the windmill. Snowball wants to modernize the farm. Snowball says the windmill will provide energy for the farm in a number of ways. 

This would light the stalls and warm them in winter, and would also run a circular saw, a chaff cutter, a mangel-slicer, and an electric milking machine. 

Snowball spends hours drawing up the plans. The animals are amazed and excited, even if they don't understand the mechanics. But Napoleon says he was against the windmill from the start. To show his contempt, he urinates on the windmill plans. Napoleon claims he wants to focus more of their efforts on food production. This created a polarization on the farm. Some animals favored Snowball's plan and some favored Napoleon's: 

The animals formed themselves into two factions under the slogan, "Vote for Snowball and the three-day week" and "Vote for Napoleon and the full manger." 

They intend to vote on the windmill, but Napoleon sabotages the vote and runs Snowball off of the farm. A few weeks later, Napoleon, the true hypocrite, says the windmill will be built. He even has Squealer tell the other animals that he was behind the idea for the windmill from the start. 

That, he said, was Comrade Napoleon's cunning. He had seemed to oppose the windmill, simply as a maneuver to get rid of Snowball, who was a dangerous character and a bad influence. Now that Snowball was out of the way, the plan could go forward without his interference. 

The book, "Night." CHAPTER ONE 1. At the beginning of the book, What is most important to young Elie? 2. Describe the relationship between Elie...

Earlier in the story, Elie’s most important aspect of life was his religion. He studied the Talmud during the day and spent a significant part of his night in the synagogue where he wept over its destruction. He was intensely fascinated by his religion and wanted to learn its deeper secrets through the studies of the Kabbalah.

By day I studied Talmud and by night I would run to the synagogue to weep over the destruction of the Temple.

According to his father, Elie was too young to delve into the mysticism that surrounds the studies of Kabbalah. He believed that it was important for Elie to continue studying the basic subjects before upgrading to the most sensitive subjects of the religion. With these reasons, Elie’s father declined his son’s request for a master who would teach him in the ways of the Kabbalah. However, Elie remained steadfast in his quest to study the kabbalah and found himself a master to guide him. His master in the studies was Moishe the Beadle, who recognized Elie’s unwavering interest in understanding the Jewish religion and was willing to help.

I succeeded on my own in finding a master for myself in the person of Moishe the Beadle. He had watched me one day as I prayed at dusk. "Why do you cry when you pray?" he asked, as though he knew me well.

Kindly post each question in separate posts for more conclusive answers. The answer above is for the first question - 1. At the beginning of the book, What is most important to young Elie?.

I need help writing a research paper about the HIPAA privacy rule.

HIPAA is an acronym that stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. It was created by the Department of Health and Human Services. HIPAA established national standards that are to be followed by those who offer medical services in regards to the privacy of patient records.  HIPAA protects patient’s medical records found within their health care plans, kept by their health care providers, or kept by healthcare clearinghouses.  The act provides patients with safeguards to protect their personal information by requiring that the patients give consent before any such information is released. Thus, patient records cannot be used or released by insurance companies, doctor offices, hospitals, and other medical facilities until the patient signs such a release.  Additionally, HIPAA gives patients the right to obtain copies of, examine, and ask that corrections be made to their medical records.

How does John Proctor respond to the questions about why he has not been to church in The Crucible?

Proctor says that he does not like the methods of the preacher and that is why he does not go to church.

Proctor stands up for what he believes in, and is not afraid to speak his mind.  He does not approve of the witch trials and thinks the community has gone crazy.  When Putnam asks him why he does not go to church any more, he gives a reasonable explanation.

I have trouble enough without I come five mile to hear him preach only hellfire and bloody damnation. There are many others who stay away from church these days because he hardly ever mentions God any more. (Act 1)

Reverend Parris does seem to have a hold over the citizens of Salem, and he cares more about the devil and witchcraft than worshiping God.  Proctor prefers to avoid him at all costs, even if it means raising eyebrows for not going to church.

Parris defends himself and his preaching.

I am your third preacher in seven years. I do not wish to be put out like the cat, whenever some majority feels the whim. You people seem not to comprehend that a minister is the Lord‘s man in the parish; a minister is not to be so lightly crossed and contradicted… (Act 1)

Definitely more interested in defending his name, Parris agrees with the witch trials and supports them.  The trials used the excuse that they were defending God and eliminating people who were ungodly.  However, the methods they used were predatory.

Proctor never allied himself with the court, and it is no surprise that he ended up its target.  Proctor had a way of making enemies because he would not follow the party line.  Even when he was accused, he refused to sign his name to a confession because he was not going to lie.

What types of transport does the cell membrane regulate?

To understand what types of transport the cell membrane regulates, let us first discuss what the cell membrane is. The cell membrane is a lipid bilayer that separates the inside of the cell, the cytoplasm, from the outside of the cell, the extracellular space. Within this bilayer, a number of different membrane proteins, which each serve various functions, exist. Because this bilayer is tightly packed, only small molecules such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water are able to easily pass through it. Larger molecules, such as ions, like calcium, sodium, and potassium can not pass through the lipid bilayer directly, and instead can only cross into (or get out of the cell) through the regulated opening of channel proteins. These channel proteins are regulated by other signaling molecules that tell them when to open and close. This opening or closing then allows molecules to either leave or enter the cell. Another mechanism of transport through the lipid bilayer is through carrier proteins, which are able to bind large molecules and physically move them across the lipid bilayer membrane and into the cell. Hope this helps!   

How can I come up with three arguments to support my thesis statement about Romeo and Juliet? My thesis statement is: In the novel Romeo and...

When analyzing a theme in literature, it's easier to look at the evidence of the theme you are thinking of using in order to come up with your arguments. From there, you can then combine your arguments in order to generate your thesis. This forces you to look at the evidence first. I notice that if students do it the other way around (thesis then arguments then evidence), they sometimes get attached to their thesis and try to make evidence fit that just doesn't.

Anyway, since you have your thesis already, let's break it down. It should read something along the lines of this: "In the play Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare demonstrates the immense damage a feud can cause through the rivalry between the Montagues and the Capulets."

The meat of your thesis statement is the idea of immense damage. This, I believe, is where you will find your arguments. Like I mentioned before, it's sometimes easier to look at evidence first. With that being said, here are some examples (there are many more) of immense damage that the feud caused from the play: 

• In Act I, Scene I, the feud causes turmoil in Verona, and the Prince, who is fed up with the fighting, makes his decree 


• In Act I, Scene 5, Tybalt recognizes Romeo at the party, and asks someone to fetch his sword; luckily, Capulet is able to cool him down


• In Act II, Scene 3, the Friar basically agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet in an attempt to end the feud (in a sense, the feud forces Romeo and Juliet to marry in secret in the first place) 


• In Act III, Scene I, Tybalt kills Mercutio, who is neither a relative of the Montagues nor the Capulets (following this, Romeo is exiled from Verona)


• In Act V, Scene III, Montague and Capulet join hands, ending the feud since both of their children have died 

Within the evidence, there is a pattern of death and deceit that snowball into even greater consequences. 

Considering the evidence, some arguments that can be made are: 

• The feud causes the death of innocent civilians (Mercutio, Paris)


• The feud causes senseless fighting that disturbs the peace (fighting in Act I, death of Mercutio, fighting between Tybalt and Romeo) 


• The feud causes people to be deceitful (Romeo and Juliet's relationship, the Friar keeping it a secret)


• The feud causes people to make rash decisions (Romeo and Juliet marrying, the Friar's intentions with their marriage)

What are two pros and two cons for a plain text resume or for a scannable resume?

There are many different types and formats of resumes, and depending on a person's profession and the type of job they are applying for, different resumes might be required or preferred. However, in general, there are both pros and cons to a plain text or scannable resume.

One advantage of a plain text resume is that it can easily be copy and pasted anywhere. Many jobs ask that you apply directly on their site, and many want your resume to simply be pasted into a text box, which makes a plain text resume ideal; you won't need to make any changes, and there will be no changes automatically made to your formatting. If you have a formatted resume, however, and try to paste it in to a text box, the formatting could change and look unprofessional.

Another advantage is that plain text resumes are very easy to read. Everything is very clear and the person reviewing the resume will not feel overwhelmed or burdened by a formatted or fancier resume.

One disadvantage of a plain text resume is that it will be less unique and might not stand out s much as a personal, formatted resume. It will be the same font and color as all the other plain text resumes, which could make it harder to stand out or impress an employer. 

A second disadvantage is that in a plain text resume it might be more difficult to highlight certain aspects of a resume that one could normally do by using bold or italics or underlining or changing of fonts and font sizes. In a plain text resume, it all has to be the same. 

In general, one should think about the audience and mode of application in order to determine the best type of resume.

What are the main food-carrying tubes within vascular plants?

The main food-carrying tubes of vascular plants is made of a tissue called phloem.

Vascular plants contain vascular plant tissues. Phloem and xylem are the two types of vascular plant tissues. Together, phloem and xylem work as a transport system to carry nutrients to the various parts of a plant.

Phloem is the plant tissue that conducts sugars and other metabolic products downwards from the leaves. Chlorophyll is a green pigment that is housed in the chloroplasts of the plant cells that make up the leaves. The chlorophyll captures sunlight energy that is to drive photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the process during which carbon dioxide gas and water are converted into glucose sugar and oxygen gas. The glucose is used as a food source for the plant. The phloem is the tissue of vascular plants that carries this food source throughout the plant.

The net charge in a current carrying conductor is zero; even it experiences a force in a magnetic field. Why?

In this case, we must remember that the magnetic field acts with a magnetic force on the moving charge. The Lorentz equation describes the magnitude of this force:

Fm = q(v x B)

q, is the electric charge of the particle in motion.

v, is the speed of the charged particle.

B, is the magnetic field induction.

In a conductor carrying current, the electrons move in a preferred direction from the negative terminal to the positive terminal of the supply. The net charge is zero because, during the same time interval, the number of electrons that come from the negative terminal of the source, is equal to the amount of these that enter in the source by the positive terminal.

Therefore, although the net charge of the conductor is zero, there are electrons moving in its interior. In these conditions we have that the magnetic field exerts a force on each electron moving with velocity v along the conductor. The sum of all the forces acting on the electrons in motion will manifest as a force that acts on the conductor.

What came first on earth: air or water?

According to the one of the resources I attached, the earth itself was formed from the solar nebula "about 5 billion years ago."  As the earth began to cool somewhat, the atmosphere was the first of these two resources to form and take place.  It is also believed the oceans would have evaporated away, were not a form of atmosphere in place to prevent the water from escaping into space.  The first atmosphere formed as a result of "vapor and gasses that were expelled during the degassing of the earth's interior."  This first, early version of earth's atmosphere had "hydrogen, methane, water vapor, and carbon oxides."

The water on the earth, which represents that part of the earth called the hydrosphere, came about as a result of continued earth cooling.  This continued cooling of the earth's surface caused the water vapor in the already present atmosphere to condense.  The earth's oceans were formed from this condensation around four billion years ago.  it was in these early oceans an early life form, blue-green algae, evolved to the point of using the sun's energy to make food through photosynthesis.  This process is what is believed to have initiated the movement to oxygen being present in the present atmosphere.

The atmosphere, or air, was first, followed by the water.

Why was Junior silly about his future in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian?

I don't think Junior is silly about his future in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian because he makes a hard and thoughtful decision about the type of education he feels that he deserves.  When Junior realizes that he has been given a 30-year-old math textbook, he throws the book directly at his teacher Mr. P, not because he is angry at Mr. P, but because he is outraged at the lack of support that is given to the education system on the reservation.  Later, Mr. P encourages Junior to go outside the reservation for a better education, and although Junior knows that he will be labeled a traitor by some Indians on the reservation, he decides to deal with their disappointment to follow what he believes is a better opportunity.  Junior thinks that getting a better education now will provide him with more opportunities in the future.  So Junior isn't being silly about his future--he's being thoughtful, proactive, and brave.

What is the message of the poem "Inchcape Rock" by Robert Southey?

"Inchcape Rock" by Robert Southey is based on a traditional Scottish folktale concerning a dangerous rock outcropping in northern Scotland. Southey follows the original in making a simple moral point.

The moral perspective of the poem is Christian. Robert Southey himself was a member of the Church of England and the poem is narrated in Christian terms, with the morally good character being an Abbot and mentions of Christ and the Devil.

In the poem, the Abbot of Aberbrothok is blessed for having placed to bell on Inchcape Rock attached to a float so that mariners will be warned away from the rock, which was a hazard to navigation. Sir Ralph sinks the bell so that he can profit from ships wrecked on the rock. One night, Sir Ralph's own ship ends up wrecked on Inchcape Rock because the bell is no longer in place to warn him away. The moral is straightforward, that one's bad deeds will come back to haunt one, a concept that in Buddhism and Hinduism is called karma. In the Bible, a similar idea is expressed in Galatians 6:7: "whatever one sows, that will he also reap."

What was the effect of Greek colonization in the Mediterranean?

The most practical benefit or effect of Greek colonies throughout the Mediterranean Sea was the supply of food and other material to the city-states of the Greek mainland. Mainland Greece is not well suited for farming because of the rocky geography, so Greeks set out to the seas to find arable land. Obviously, the colonies supplied goods to Greece that would not have otherwise been available.

Despite the practical purpose of the colonies for food production, the colonies had the effect of spreading Greek culture and ideas throughout the Mediterranean Sea. In this way, Greek commerce, art, language, and political innovation was spread to Spain, France, Italy and North Africa.

The most successful of the colonies, primarily due to its central location in the Mediterranean, were those on the Italian peninsula. Greeks in Italy were very successful and came into contact with people from the north on a regular basis. In this way, the Greeks influenced the development of Rome.  The Hellenic influence on the future Roman empire cannot be overstated.

What role did women play in the Mongol Empire?

Women had a role of influence in the Mongol Empire as compared to other cultures at the time.  An example of this was that Genghis Khan sought counsel from his mother and his wives at times.  He listened to the opinions of his wives when he was considering who to choose as his successor.  Other men in Mongol society sought advice from their wife or wives.  

In the Mongol Empire, women had more freedom in how they were required to dress.  Foot binding was common in nearby regions, but it was not done in Mongol society.  Women also avoided covering themselves with chādars.  Women also had more freedom to do tasks usually associated with men.  Some women even fought in battles.

In many ways, the Mongol Empire had a traditional society.  A young woman's father gave a dowry to the groom's family when she married.  Arranged marriage was common.  It was also common for a man to have more than one wife.  Each wife had her own dwelling.  Once married, a woman's primary role was to be a wife and mother.  Remarriage for widows was uncommon.