In this story "The Sniper", does the sniper experience internal or external conflict?

In this story, the sniper experiences both internal and external conflict.   The external conflict demands most of the events in the story.  He is in a civil war in Ireland, and other soldiers are shooting at him.

“Placing a cigarette between his lips, he struck a match, inhaled the smoke hurriedly and put out the light.  Almost immediately, a bullet flattened itself against the parapet of the roof.” (pg 1)

He is in a battle with soldiers on the other side of the street.  When he is in battle mode, he doesn’t appear to have any internal conflict.  He knows that his situation is kill or be killed. When an armored car arrives, he easily kills the man in the turret as well as the woman who pointed out his position.  She was jeopardizing his life, and he had to eliminate her.

When he kills the other sniper, and his life is relatively safe, he starts to have an internal conflict. 

“The lust for battle died in him.  He became bitten by remorse….. he revolted from the sight of the shattered mass of his dead enemy.  His teeth chattered, he began to gibber (talk incoherently) to himself, cursing the war, cursing himself, cursing everybody.” (pg 2)

He starts to relax from the battle, and head to his company commander to report when he decides to take a look at his opponent, the other sniper he had shot.  He respected him because he had been a good shot.  When he turns the body over, he sees that he shot his brother.  Although the author ends the story at that point, the reader can imagine the internal conflict he had after that experience. 

In "The Masque of the Red Death", why do Prince Prospero and his guest lock themselves into an abbey?

Prince Prospero secludes himself and his high-ranking friends in order to escape a plague.

The story begins by introducing and describing the effects of the plague, called the Red Death. It is said to be unusually deadly and gruesome, named in part for the fact that one of its symptoms is profuse bleeding from one's skin, followed by death within half an hour.

Prospero is a ruler of some amount of land (it isn't specified) and when half of his citizens have died to the plague, he decides to seclude himself and a thousand nobles within a provisioned abbey, and lock themselves inside. They intend to ignore the outside world, justifying that it can fend for itself, and wait out the plague by diverting themselves with wine, entertainment, and a generally hedonistic lifestyle. 

At the conclusion of the story, Prospero and everyone else dies due to the intrusion of a physical personification of the Red Death, metaphorically suggesting that death cannot be eluded or ignored. 

In The Bronze Bow, what are some questions the author hasn't answered yet in the first two chapters?

Elizabeth George Speare, author of The Bronze Bow, creates suspense for readers by not answering all their questions about Daniel at the beginning. During the first two chapters, Daniel meets Joel and Malthace, two young people about Daniel's age, and Daniel takes part in raiding a caravan and stealing a slave. Things that have been hinted at but we don't know yet are: Why does Daniel hate the Romans so fiercely? What is the condition of Daniel's grandmother and sister, neither of whom he has heard from for two years? What is wrong with Daniel's sister that she never leaves the house? Will Joel give up his good family and his education to join Rosh's band?  For that matter, will Daniel see Joel and Thacia again? Finally, readers who recognize the name "Simon the Zealot" as one of Jesus' disciples might be asking whether and how Daniel could end up becoming connected to Jesus and/or his disciples.

What is the importance of society in Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot?

The function of society in Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot is an interesting inquiry, as it exists on the peripheries of the relatively small and intimate cast of characters. However, it's possible to draw a few conclusions about the role of society in the play, one of which is that Beckett envisions society in Godot as a power structure relying on hierarchies of privilege and poverty. 

For one thing, the two main characters, Vladimir and Estragon, are tramps waiting (for some unspecified reason) for a fellow named "Godot." We never find out who Godot is, but we can guess that he's someone important, someone with enough power to command respect and allegiance. It's possible therefore to view Godot as a member of the social elite, someone who presumably possesses social influence and probably wealth. Likewise, the other significant relationship in the play also involves power: Pozzo, a wealthy landowner, is master of a slave named Lucky. Pozzo exercises complete control over his servant and treats Lucky like an animal. As such, we can see that the main relationships of the play rely upon structures of power, especially upon structures of power that resemble the relationship between power and poverty in a classic, modern, capitalist society. 

There is, however, a turn of events that makes this relationship more interesting: at the end of the play, Lucky leads Pozzo, who is now blind. As such, it's possible to assume that Lucky has become the master, and so has inverted the classic dynamic between the wealthy and the impoverished. This turn of events potentially subverts classic societal structures of power, although it's not a perfect subversion, as both Vladimir and Estragon are still waiting for Godot at the end. In that sense, at least, it appears as though classic capitalist society has prevailed. 

`285^@` Find the exact values of the sine, cosine, and tangent of the angle.

`285^0 = 270^0 + 15^0 `

`sin (270^0 + 15^0) = -cos 15^0 `

                                 `= -cos(45^0 - 30^0) `

                                `= -[cos 45^0 * cos 30^0 + sin 45^0 * sin 30^0]`

                               `= -[1/sqrt2 * sqrt3/2 + 1/sqrt2 * 1/2] `

                                  `=-[(sqrt3 + 1)/(2sqrt2)]`

`cos (270^0 + 15^0) = sin 15^0 `

                                `= sin(45^0 -30^0) `

                                 `= sin45^0 * cos 30^0 - cos 45^0 * sin 30^0 `

                                 `= 1/sqrt2 * sqrt3/2 - 1/sqrt2 *1/2 `

Now `tan(285^0)` . this can be evaluated by using `tan(A+B)` identity or

`tan A = (sin A)/(cos A)`

`tan(285^0) = [sin(285^0)]/[cos(285^0)] `

                   `= -[(sqrt3 + 1)/(2sqrt2)]/[(sqrt3 - 1)/(2sqrt2)] `

                    `=-[(sqrt3 + 1)]/[(sqrt3 - 1)]`

by rationalizing the denominator we get 

`tan(285^0) = -(2+sqrt3) `

Why is Paul willing to play second string on the soccer team?

Paul is willing to play second string on the Tangerine Middle School soccer team because he was completely barred from playing soccer at Lake Windsor Downs due to an unfair interpretation of his IEP. He’s excited to be back on the field, and second string is better than water boy, his position at Lake Windsor Downs. He sees this as a chance to start over.

Paul also recognizes that the Tangerine Middle School soccer team is really good and far better than the “toe stubbers” at Lake Windsor Downs. He’s honored to be a part of something so special.

Paul also knows that goalies always get injured, so he has a good chance of getting playing time.

This also tells us about Paul’s personality. Unlike his brother Erik, Paul is happy to let others take the limelight if they deserve it. He doesn’t always have to be the center of attention. He’s a team player!

A single rise or depression in a wave is called the ?

The single rise or depression of a wave are known as crest and trough. In case of transverse waves, we can think of wave motion as consisting of a series of ups and downs or hills and valleys. The highest point in this motion or the rise is known as the crest, whereas the lowest point of the depression is called the trough. One can see this type of motion by using a rope and vibrating its end in an up and down motion, we will be able to see the waves traveling from one end to the other. 

There are some other terms associated with these rise and depressions (or crests and troughs). The wavelength is the distance between two consecutive troughs or crests. Similarly, the wave amplitude is defined is as the distance of crest or trough from the centerline (or the central position or position of rest).

Hope this helps.  

In what ways are Charlotte Bronte and Jane Eyre similar?

Charlotte Bronte was raised partially by her religious aunt after the death of her mother.  Jane Eyre was also raised by her religious aunt.  Charlotte and her sisters were sent to a religious school.  While at the school, two of her sisters, Elizabeth and Maria, became sick and died.  In the novel, Jane was sent away to a religious school.  While there, she befriended a fellow student, Helen.  Soon Helen became ill and died.  

Charlotte left home to become a governess when she became an adult.  In the novel, Jane also became a governess as a grown woman.  Charlotte met a minister who gave her an offer of marriage.  She was not in love with him, and after consideration she refused his proposal.  Jane met St. John Rivers, who was also a minister.  When he proposed, she refused.  

In the end, Charlotte did marry the minister.  In the novel, Jane married Mr. Rochester.

How does Ulrich change his attitude toward his rival?

Faced with possible death, Ulrich von Gradwitz decides to no longer hold onto his animus. Instead of this enmity toward Georg Znaeym, who is pinioned beside him by the fallen tree's branches, Ulrich offers friendship.

After the split second of being vis-à-vis as they both have rounded the huge beech tree, the men are held captive by the felled tree. At first, each man hurls invectives at each other, but as they await their own men to rescue them, this life-and-death situation puts much more valuable conditions into perspective. Ulrich von Gradwitz is the first to speak, offering his flask of wine, saying, "....Let us drink, even if tonight one of us dies." But, Georg Znaeym repels his offer,

"No, I can scarcely see anything...and in any case I don't drink wine with an enemy."

Hearing this, Ulrich ponders their situation for a while as "an idea was slowly forming and growing in his brain...." Despite Znaeym's hostility, he turns to Georg and tells him that he has changed his mind, and if his men arrive first, he will have Znaeym treated as his guest and freed first. Further, he tells his "neighbor," as he now calls Znaeym, that they have quarreled all their lives about "this stupid strip of forest" where trees cannot even withstand the wind. He concludes,

"Neighbor, if you will help me to bury the old quarrel, I--I will ask you to be my friend."

Silent for a time, Georg finally speaks in "jerks," remarking on how the region would be shocked if they rode together into the market square. He, then, displays a change of mind, and accepts Ulrich's offer of friendship: Asking for the wine flask, adding, "Ulrich von Gradwitz, I will be your friend."

What has the secret committee of Poker Flat decided to do? Why?

In the third paragraph of the story, Bret Harte states, "A secret committee had determined to rid the town of all improper persons."  These "improper persons" include Mr. John Oakhurst, a gambler; the Duchess, a prostitute; Mother Shipton, a witch; and Uncle Billy, a thief and drunk.  The committee made this sudden decision because "It had lately suffered the loss of several thousand dollars, two valuable horses, and a prominent citizen. It was experiencing a spasm of virtuous reaction, quite as lawless and ungovernable as any of the acts that had provoked it."  By expelling these "improper persons" and hanging two more for their crimes, the town leaders were hoping to improve the reputation of the town as well as perhaps settle a few disagreements with the likes of someone like Oakhurst who won too many hands of poker and too much of the leaders' money!

Why is the following phrase ironic "surveying his handiwork," as found in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird?

In Chapter 17 of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, the narrator Scout uses verbal irony when she describes Mr. Bob Ewell as "sitting smugly in the witness chair, surveying his handiwork."

Verbal irony is created when a writer or speaker uses a word to mean the complete opposite of what the word literally means.

Prior to Scout describing Mr. Ewell as "surveying his handiwork," Scout gives a narrative description of his testimony to Mr. Gilmer, the prosecuting attorney, while on the witness stand. When Mr. Gilmer asks if Mayella was screaming, Mr. Ewell describes that he heard her screaming while he was gathering firewood, dropped his load of firewood, and raced to house's window to see what was going on. He then ends his testimony with a grand finale using words that are not appropriate for a formal courthouse setting, as Scout describes in the following:

He stood up and pointed his finger at Tom Robinson. "--I seen that black nigger yonder ruttin' on my Mayella!" (Ch. 17)

Mr. Ewell is proud of himself because, being low class and uneducated, he thinks he has convinced his audience of his claim by using his foul language; hence, in her narration, Scout uses the word "handiwork," which literally means "the result of work done by hand," to depict Mr. Ewell being proud of his accomplishment (Random House Dictionary).

However, Judge Taylor thinks differently about what Mr. Ewell has accomplished through his obscene testimony and so does Scout, along with the rest of the courtroom. Hence, Scout, in her narration, ironically uses the word "handiwork" to mean the exact opposite, to show that Mr. Ewell had really accomplished nothing except to create bedlam in the courtroom. Furthermore, after Mr. Ewell's statement, Judge Taylor raps on the bench with his gavel for a full "five minutes" to quiet the courtroom and eventually gives Mr. Ewell the edict to "keep [his] testimony within the confines of Christian English usage, if that is possible" (Ch. 17).

Hence, the phrase "surveying his handiwork" is ironic because Mr. Ewell is actually doing the exact opposite; he is surveying the bedlam he has created.

What are the inciting action and rising action of the play Hamlet?

The inciting incident and rising action of Hamlet can be broken down like this.

The inciting incident (the event that starts the action and conflict) is when Hamlet sees the ghost of his father and learns that Claudius murdered his father in order to get the throne and the queen. Up to this point Hamlet is angry at his mother for marrying Claudius and grieving his father’s death but has no reason to seek revenge on his uncle. Seeing the ghost pushes him to consider revenge. Hamlet’s struggle to decide whether or not to take revenge on his uncle is the conflict of the piece.

The rising action is all the events that lead up to the climax. These events include Hamlet acting insane, ending his relationship with Ophelia, the play he puts on to find out if his uncle is guilty, and his conversation with his mother about her marriage to Claudius. It also includes his decision not to kill Claudius when he catches Claudius praying alone. Hamlet kills Polonius and in doing so chooses a violent course and makes himself an enemy to Claudius.

What were causes of the rise and decline of the Meroe Kingdom, and what was the ruler of Meroe called?

Kush was an ancient Nubian kingdom in what is now modern Sudan in Africa. The city of Meroe was located along the middle stretch of the Nile River where the Blue Nile, White Nile and River Atbara run together. At its peak, the Kush Kingdom of Meroe  stretched for over 600 miles north to south along the Nile River. The physical aspects of the geographic location of Meroe likely contributed to its rise as one of the most powerful of ancient African kingdoms. The seasonal flooding of the Nile River helped create rich iron ore deposits in the region. Gold was also plentiful and Meroitic industry began with the mining of these raw materials. The close proximity of rich timberland to Meroe supported the operation of bloomeries and possibly blast furnaces as well, to work the iron and gold into tools, weapons, and jewelry. Meroitic metalworkers were among the best in their contemporary world. Furthermore, the nearby river system provided access to the River Niger and other major trade paths to the rest of Africa, as well as India and China. Flourishing industry and trade, and the wealth that came with it, appear to have been major factors in the political stability and peaceful expansion of Meroe during its heyday.

The prominence of the artisan caste in Meroe could have been a contributing factor in the atypical degree of consent between the rulers of Meroe and the ruled, in a socioeconomic system based more on labor than land ownership or control. The Kush king was selected from among members of the royal family by the Kush nobility and was an administrator of law and custom as interpreted by the priests, rather than an autocratic lawmaker in his own right. In addition, the mother of the King played an important role in rule of Meroe, especially during a period of transition from one reign to the next. A Kush king was often succeeded by his queen (called a "kandake"), lengthening the period of consistent executive rule considerably and creating another layer of political stability.

Rome's conquest of Egypt ushered in a period of conflict between Roman Egypt and Kush that sapped Meroitic power and hindered external trade. By the 1st or 2nd century CE, the decline of Meroe was underway and demand for their traditional industries collapsed with their external trade abilities soon to follow. Sometime between the 3rd and 4th centuries CE, the royal power emanating from Meroe was no longer relevant and the Meroitic state disintegrated.

What are the poetic devices found in Edgar Guest's poem "Equipment"?

Guest uses a broad array of poetic techniques and devices in "Equipment."

Let's start with the most basic. The poem uses line breaks to shape the poem, and is arranged into distinct stanzas.

The lines rhyme in a regular structure: AA BB CC (the first and second lines, the third and fourth, and the fifth and the sixth).

Repetition is used: see the uses of "two" in line 3.

Imagery is used throughout, as are metaphors. The images are clear, if the language is a bit basic: look at the mention of the men using similar laces in their shoes.

The idea of great men taking their food from a "common plate" is a useful metaphor. They don't literally eat from a shared plate, one big platter, but metaphorically, they have a lot in common.

The poem uses direct address, engaging the reader in a shared mission for greatness through the use of "you.

What are the different types of bacteria in use?

There are a number of classifications of bacteria that are in use. Bacteria can be classified on the basis of their shape as cocci (spherical shape), bacilli (rod shaped) or spirilla (spiral shaped). They can also be classified on the basis of gram stain test as gram-positive and gram-negative (those that do not get stained) bacteria. These organisms are also classified into a large number of genus (such as Escherichia, lacobacilli, etc.). 

More commonly, we (especially non-specialists) think of bacteria as either pathogenic or non-pathogenic. Pathogenic bacteria causes infection and result in sickness. Bacillus anthracis, for example, causes anthrax.  Non-pathogenic bacteria, on the other hand, have no adverse effect on us and may, in fact, be useful to us. A mixed culture of bacteria is commonly used for municipal wastewater treatment in sewage treatment plants, etc.

Hope this helps.  

Who are Gertrude's enemies in the play Hamlet?

In a play defined by vengeance and betrayal, Gertrude is unique in that in many ways she actually has no enemies. None of the play's major characters are plotting to harm Gertrude. Claudius wants her as his wife, and so his treacherous plots against the older Hamlet and later against her son do not include her. Additionally, even though the older Hamlet's ghost shows distaste for Gertrude's actions, he makes a point to stress that his son should not harm her. 

That said, there are many ways in which she certainly does have enemies. While he never plots to kill her, the younger Hamlet still views her as playing a role in his father's betrayal. He calls her lustful and frail. He plots to unravel her marriage by killing her husband. In this sense, her son could be seen as a less direct form of enemy. From another perspective, Claudius could be considered her enemy. She shows signs of affection for her new husband, but she does not seem to know that he has murdered her last husband. By pulling her unknowingly into his treachery and starting a deadly conflict with her son, Claudius does her great harm. In this sense, he is her enemy, even if she does not realize it.

From a very simple perspective the Norwegian armies plotting to attack Denmark could be considered her enemies as well.

Why does the sniper kill the old woman?

The sniper is fighting on one side (Republican) of the Irish Civil War. From a rooftop, he foolishly lights up a cigarette. The smoke signals his position and the enemy sniper fires at him. On the street below, an armored car approaches. The old woman signals to a soldier from the armored car and points out the position of the sniper. She is an "informer." The sniper is trying to avoid being killed. It is a war zone. So, he fires and kills the soldier looking out of the turret. Then he kills the woman, even though she is running away. The sniper reasons that the woman would simply tell another enemy soldier of his position. He kills her in order to keep the enemy from knowing exactly where he is. 

The other, more fundamental, reason the sniper kills her is that he has become accustomed to killing. The narrator describes him as having the face of a student, but one who has become used to violence, war, and death. In this, his adopted mentality of the soldier, he does not hesitate in killing her. His automatic thinking is "kill or be killed." 

In the Prologue, Momaday says that “In one sense, then, the way to Rainy Mountain is preeminently the history of an idea, man’s idea of...

Momaday is following the geographical path of his ancestors, the Kiowa people, from western Montana and northwestern Wyoming and to the east, to the Black Hills of South Dakota; then south to the area near Rainy Mountain in southwestern Oklahoma. As he traces their migration on land, he also traces their history and culture. He comes to understand how the Kiowa define themselves and place themselves on the American plains and in the realm of the greater universe. Since his grandmother was his own last living link to the native traditions of the past, Momaday has only the Kiowa legends and stories to guide him. Theirs is an oral tradition, as the tales were passed down through the generations by shamans and storytellers. So while the Kiowa journey is both historical and geographical, it is also oral and linguistic. Momaday does his best to capture all of it here.

Why is Marcus Brutus an insignificant character in the play Julius Caesar?

Brutus is roped into the conspiracy, and he does not end up leader of Rome.

Marcus Brutus is known as one of the men who assassinated Julius Caesar.  It is thought that he was the last one to stab Caesar.  Shakespeare’s play draws particular attention to this.  However, Brutus is really nothing more than a figurehead throughout the play and never has any real power.

Notice that Cassius started the conspiracy, not Brutus.  We are not even sure that Cassius started it, we only know that he is the one who convinced Brutus to join.  Brutus was by all accounts a very wishy-washy man.  He has no real leadership skills.

Brutus does take charge of the conspiracy, but his involvement in it was not because of his ability.  They needed his name.  Brutus was from a very old aristocratic Roman family.  He was wealthy and important, but it was not because of anything he did.

However, every decision that Brutus makes is a disaster.  He determines who else can join the conspiracy (no one, or at least not Cicero or Portia), who else besides Caesar will die (no one), and who should talk at Caesar’s funeral (himself and Mark Antony).  He also determines where they will fight later when they have their own armies. 

Every decision he makes is the wrong one.  Brutus came into the plan for the assassination when most everything had already been decided.  The plan was there.  Brutus had to determine whether or not Antony should be killed too, and he decided that he was not dangerous!  He doesn’t want the assassins to be seen as butchers.

This shall make
Our purpose necessary and not envious:
Which so appearing to the common eyes,
We shall be call'd purgers, not murderers.
And for Mark Antony, think not of him;
For he can do no more than Caesar's arm
When Caesar's head is off. (Act 2, Scene 1)

Brutus wants to make this out as some worthy cause, rather than what it is: a political coup.  He doesn’t realize that Antony is actually the biggest danger to him.  Antony was Caesar’s lieutenant, and when Caesar dies Antony cleverly manipulates things so that the loyalty of the people and Caesar’s soldiers is transferred to him.

When Brutus speaks to the people, he is hardly convincing.  His speech is vague threats and a lot of posturing.  It is nothing that is going to get the people to throw their support behind him.  

As Caesar loved me, I weep for him;
as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was
valiant, I honour him: but, as he was ambitious, I
slew him. There is tears for his love; joy for his
fortune; honour for his valour; and death for his
ambition. (Act 3, Scene 2)

Even his speech is wishy-washy and odd!  Antony is easily able to counteract it with his strong emotional appeals and theatrics.

Even Caesar seems to realize that Brutus is a wimp.  When the assassins all stab Caesar, Brutus seems to freeze.  He is actually the last one.  Caesar’s reaction is shock.  He asks Brutus, “AND YOU?”  In other words:  You would get involved with these men?  He knows that Brutus is not the brains of the operation.

When Antony runs them off, Brutus continues to make bad decisions.  He has no significant military experience and is certainly not qualified to lead an army.  He overrules Cassius, who does know what he is doing, and sends them all to their deaths.  Brutus eventually kills himself in shame, reluctant to be captured by Antony.

How would I write an essay about revenge in Great Expectations?

The most obvious way to write an essay about revenge in Great Expectations would be to focus on Miss Havisham and the way she ruins lives in her quest for vengeance. When Pip meets her, Miss Havisham has not recovered from being left at the marriage altar. Her diminished life is motivated by her desire to destroy a man by having him jilted the way she was jilted. She raises her ward Estella to be cold, haughty and rejecting so that she can achieve her revenge through Estella. She shows little regard for Estella's needs or what being raised as a cold-hearted woman will do to her. Pip becomes Miss Havisham's victim: he is to fall in love with Estella and have his heart broken. Miss Havisham is also an unintended victim of her own scheme, trapped in a destructive cycle brought on by a past she can't escape.

To write such an essay, it would be best to gather quotes about revenge from the novel, and quotes about how Miss Havisham's revenge scheme impacts other characters in the novel. 

In Chapter 3 of The Great Gatsby, what is Nick's encounter with Gatsby like?

Nick's first meeting with Gatsby is actually kind of funny. Gatsby is throwing a party -- one of his giant parties that fills his mansion with people from all over. Nick is accorded the special honor of actually being invited -- most of Gatsby's guests just show up. So Gatsby is singling Nick out, even though has never met him. Later, at the party, Nick is a little non-plussed because, among all these people, there is no sign of Gatsby himself. Finally, after meeting up with Jordan Baker, he falls into conversation with a stranger:

“I was still with Jordan Baker. We were sitting at a table with a man of about my age and a rowdy little girl, who gave way upon the slightest provocation to uncontrollable laughter. I was enjoying myself now. I had taken two finger-bowls of champagne, and the scene had changed before my eyes into something significant, elemental, and profound. At a lull in the entertainment the man looked at me and smiled.

“Your face is familiar,” he said, politely. “Weren’t you in the Third Division during the war?”

“Why, yes. I was in the Ninth Machine-gun Battalion.”

“I was in the Seventh Infantry until June nineteen-eighteen. I knew I’d seen you somewhere before.” 

The exchange some more talk; the man invites nick to go with him in his hydroplane in the morning. Then Nick says:

“This is an unusual party for me. I haven’t even seen the host. I live over there ——” I waved my hand at the invisible hedge in the distance, “and this man Gatsby sent over his chauffeur with an invitation.” For a moment he looked at me as if he failed to understand.

“I’m Gatsby,” he said suddenly.

“What!” I exclaimed. “Oh, I beg your pardon.”

“I thought you knew, old sport. I’m afraid I’m not a very good host.” 

Nick is embarassed by the accidental meeting, but Gatsby is completely understanding. He smiles:

“It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced — or seemed to face — the whole external world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just so far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey. Precisely at that point it vanished — and I was looking at an elegant young rough-neck, a year or two over thirty, whose elaborate formality of speech just missed being absurd.” 

It is characteristic of Fitzgerald, I think, that Gatsby's whole persona is captured in this one smile. The smile that "understood you just so far as you wanted to be understood" is like a mirror -- in a way, looking at Gatsby is like seeing your own best image reflected back onto yourself. Once the smile fades, the impression goes, and we see Gatsby, maybe, for what he really is, an "elegant rough-neck." Like Gatsby's books, which are described earlier in the chapter as a masterpiece of fakery (“What thoroughness! What realism! Knew when to stop, too — didn’t cut the pages.”), Gatsby himself is a facade.

Huck has a major moral crisis in Chapter 31. He writes a letter to Miss Watson telling her where Jim is, but then changes his mind, saying, “All...

Huck's crisis could be summed up as his natural sense of decency and morality colliding with conventional southern moral teachings. Conventional morality, buttressed as Huck understands it, by the Christian church's doctrine, tells him he will go to hell for wronging Miss Watson by helping her slave escape. He is guilty of abetting theft. Jim is nothing more than a piece of property. Huck realizes he has violated the trust of the white community.

However, as he ponders sending the letter that would betray Jim, his feelings for Jim overcome him, and his loyalty to and love for another human being who has been good to him trumps the hollow morality of southern racism. Huck thinks:

And got to thinking over our trip down the river; and I see Jim before me all the time:  in the day and in the night-time, sometimes moonlight, sometimes storms, and we a-floating along, talking and singing and laughing.  But somehow I couldn't seem to strike no places to harden me against him, but only the other kind.  I'd see him standing my watch on top of his'n, 'stead of calling me, so I could go on sleeping; and see him how glad he was when I come back out of the fog; and when I come to him again in the swamp, up there where the feud was; and such-like times; and would always call me honey, and pet me and do everything he could think of for me, and how good he always was; and at last I struck the time I saved him by telling the men we had small-pox aboard, and he was so grateful, and said I was the best friend old Jim ever had in the world, and the only one he's got now ...

This is an extraordinary moment for Huck as he embraces his own moral compass. He consults his own conscience and his own humanity to determine his own moral path. His deeply felt  experience that Jim is fully human overcomes society's lesson that Jim is nothing but a thing. He tears up the letter because he can't deny what his heart tells him: that Jim is worth more than a false moral code, that Jim's freedom, autonomy and dignity as a human being is far more important than any loss of so-called property Miss Watson might suffer. Huck learns that all humans have intrinsic worth, no matter what their skin color. 

It's worth noting that Twain frames this powerful moment with his characteristic irony. The reader recognizes that Huck has developed a moral maturity and capacity for empathy and feeling that few adults in his society have achieved. However, in the upside-down moral universe Huck inhabits, he believes his wholly good action will send him to hell as a sinner.  

In Frankenstein, just how human is the Monster? Decide on a percentage and give at least three examples from the text to support your answer.

I suppose the answer to this question depends in large part on how we define humanity.  However, based on how Shelley characterizes the creature, I think we as readers are led to regard the creature as fully human.  Throughout the novel, the creature has simply wanted other human beings, namely his creator Victor, to show him love and affection in the way that children long for their parents to show them love and affection.  Similarly, the creature wants others to accept him as a member of the community, and he is thrilled when he finally meets an old blind man at the cottage who cannot see and judge his physical appearance, and who therefore treats him with respect and concern.  Finally, the creature asks Victor to create for him a mate who looks like him so that he can have a companion, which is arguably a very human desire.  So even though the creature did not have a human birth, and although he commits despicable acts throughout the story, the creature does have human desires and emotions that beg sympathy from the reader.

How is Miss Moore an outsider in her community?

In Toni Cade Bambara’s short story “The Lesson” Miss Moore is an outsider in her community because she is “different” than most of the other woman. She dresses in her own style, she speaks properly, and is the only “black woman without a first name.” The children call her Miss Moore because she expects it, and they do not know her first name. Most of the adults in their lives are related to them in some way, but she is not. Miss Moore is college educated and exhibits a moral conscientiousness for educating the youth of the neighborhood. The other adults gossip about her but they allow her to take responsibility for the worldly education of their children when they were not in school. She does not go to church but she kindly shares when she bakes or makes something special. In this tight knit African-American community, Miss Moore is an enigma.

What three things will Shylock do with a Christian?

In Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice," Shylock lays out his conflicted feelings about Christians when Bassanio asks Shylock for a loan of 3,000 ducats. Bassanio wants to borrow the money from Shylock, with Antonio's wealth backing Bassanio up. Shylock seems willing to make the investment, but wants to talk with Antonio first. Bassanio invites Shylock to dine with him and Antonio so they can discuss the agreement, but Shylock is repulsed, saying, 

"Yes, to smell pork; to eat of the habitation which
your prophet the Nazarite conjured the devil into. I
will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you, 
walk with you, and so following, but I will not eat
with you, drink with you, nor pray with you" (1.3.34-38).

So Shylock is perfectly willing to do business with Christians—in fact he doesn't have much of a choice, as a money lender in Venice at the time Shakespeare wrote the play. He relies on the Christian majority and their loans to keep his business going. He also says he will walk and talk with Christians without (much) complaint. 

Where Shylock draws the line is at eating, drinking, and praying with Christians. He indicates why at the beginning of the above quote. Jews like Shylock keep kosher—they follow the Torah's rules for clean and unclean foods and ways of storing and preparing them. Christians do not follow these same rules. Shylock predicts that dining with Bassanio and Antonio will mean a dinner that is not kosher—including pork (pigs are one of the animals God forbade people from eating in the Torah—Lev. 11:3; Deut. 14:6). 

It's not just the social awkwardness of avoiding foods that keeps Shylock from eating, drinking, or praying with Christians, though. This quote gets at the fundamental differences between Jews and Christians that Shylock seems to think—at least at this point in the play—are insurmountable. The Christians of the story are just too different for them to have any personal connections with one another to to build a diverse community with. Even though the setting of Venice in Shakespeare time was a hub of trade with numerous nationalities, religions, and cultures, Shylock's comment suggests that it was not a melting pot where everyone got along. He is unwilling to engage in anything but the most surface-level interactions with Christians. Judging from most of the Christian characters' casual Antisemitism, the feeling is mutual. 

What is Mr. Tate's story in Tom's trial in To Kill a Mockingbird?

In Chapter 17, Mr. Heck Tate, the sheriff, has been called as the first witness in Tom Robinson's trial. He is questioned by Mr. Horace Gilmer, the prosecuting attorney.

Accordingly, he testifies that he was summoned by an agitated Bob Ewell to the family residence on the night of November twenty-first. When he gets to the house, he finds Mayella Ewell on the floor, in the middle of the living room. He helps Mayella up, and she washes her face. When questioned, she tells the sheriff that Tom Robinson beat her up and raped her. Because of her accusations, Mr. Tate arrests Tom.

After Mr. Gilmer finishes with Mr. Tate, the sheriff is questioned by Atticus, who wants to know whether anyone bothered to call the doctor that night. Mr. Tate admits that no one did, as her injuries were pretty self-evident. However, this seems to be a poor answer. Atticus asks the question two more times, making Mr. Tate a little irritated in the process. It appears that Atticus' aim is to get the jury to question whether there was possible negligence on someone's part on the night of November twenty-first. Also, if there was negligence, since no one called the doctor, the next question would hinge on the reasons why.

Atticus then asks Mr. Tate to describe Mayella's injuries. The sheriff testifies that Mayella was badly beaten up; she had injuries on her arms, her head, and her neck. By the time he saw her, a black eye was already forming. Atticus asks Mr. Tate which eye was bruised, and Mr. Tate initially states that it was Mayella's left eye. However, Atticus wants to know whether the eye he is referencing was the one facing his own left eye or Mayella's left from her position. In the end, Mr. Tate testifies that it was actually Mayella's right eye which was bruised.

Mr. Tate is then anxious to describe Mayella's other injuries in fuller detail, and Atticus lets him. However, Mr. Tate's testimony about Mayella's bruised right eye raises other pertinent questions: as he instinctively looks at Tom Robinson, Harper Lee tells us that 'something had suddenly been made plain to him.' This fitting moment foreshadows a future moment when we are led to question Tom Robinson's supposed guilt in Mayella's abuse.

How does Angela Carter's The Bloody Chamber refer to Bluebeard?

Angela Carter rewrites a number of fairy tales and folk stories in her Gothic inspired short story collection The Bloody Chamber. In her retelling of these famous tales, Carter exposes the antiquated gender dynamics that inform beloved fairy tales and upsets these patriarchal texts by imbuing them with her own singular prosaic style. The opening tale, "The Bloody Chamber," is a direct feminist retelling of the legend of Bluebeard. "The Bloody Chamber" has many of the same elements of Bluebeard; specifically, both stories follow a young wife and her discovery that her new wealthy aristocrat husband has a room full of his previous wives' corpses.

However, Carter cleverly subverts the text in two key ways. First, she places the tale in the young bride's first-person perspective. By doing this, she immediately grants the young woman more agency than the traditional folk tale. Next, rather than having a male or group of men rescue the young wife as is what is customarily presented, Carter instead presents the young protagonist's mother as the saving grace in the text. It is a woman who defeats the murderous aristocrat and saves her daughter.   

How did Minnesotans react to the arrival of Robert Hickman's group?

It was in 1863, before the end of the Civil War, that a group of former slaves arrived in St. Paul on a steamboat.  This group of people identified themselves as pilgrims.  Robert T. Hickman, a preacher, was among them.  He served as their leader.  The workers at the dock, who were white, were hostile toward the newcomers when they arrived.  At that time, former slaves were "considered contraband."  These dock workers were Irish and they "initially harassed" the group because of their race and the fact that they were former slaves.  

After the initial hostility upon their arrival in St. Paul, Robert T. Hickman and his other fellow pilgrims established a church and settled into their new homes.  The church they founded was Pilgrim Baptist Church.  It is still in existence today.

Why does Okeke object to his son's marriage in "Marriage is a Private Affair"?

Okeke objects to Nnaemeka's marriage to Nene because he is not following the Nigerian Ibo tradition. Even though Nnaemeka has moved to Lagos (a big city), Okeke expects Nnaemeka to follow the traditions from the Ibo village where he grew up. Instead, Nnaemeka meets Nene, falls in love, and decides to marry her. First, Okeke specifically objects to the marriage because Nnaemeka refuses to marry the Ibo girl that Okeke has picked out. Okeke also objects to the marriage because of a couple of important specifics about Nene: she works as a teacher (which Okeke believes is forbidden in the Bible) and is not of the Ibo tribe. It is this last fact that absolutely infuriates Okeke. As a result, Okeke vows never to see or speak to Nene. Luckily, Okeke's grandsons eventually cause Okeke to relent. Okeke plans to be reunited with his son and grandsons by the end of the story.

In The Outsiders when Pony and the rest of the gang were leaving Pony's house, why were they hooting and hollering and doing acrobatics before the...

At the beginning of chapter 9 of The Outsiders, the reader learns the whole gang is jumping around, and doing acrobatics, which they all learned from Darry, as they leave Ponyboy's house for the rumble. They are doing this because they are excited to finally be able to settle the score with the Socs. By winning the fight, the greasers will be able to have their own territory back, and no longer will have to worry about being jumped.

They are also excited to fight as a way to fulfill various needs each of them has and to fit in with the larger group and show their loyalty. This is alluded to by Ponyboy's interview of some of the boys before the fight. His oldest brother Darry for example is teased by Soda when he says Darry likes to fight to "show off his muscles" (Hinton p133), a fact which Darry never denies. Soda also admits to liking to fight himself because "it's a contest" (Hinton p133). Others, such as Two-Bit, like to fight so that they can fit in with the rest of the group. Ponyboy concludes by saying "Soda fought for fun, Steve for hatred, Darry for pride, and Two-Bit for conformity" (Hinton p137). Each of these reasons helps the boys cope with their current situation.

This idea of coping with their situation is also alluded to in a group setting when they proudly sing about being greasers, calling themselves "a menace to society" (Hinton p136). This not only illustrates the theme of loyalty, seen throughout the book, but also shows a sense of pride in belonging to the greaser group despite its disadvantages. It is because of these various reasons that the greasers are excited and are jumping around doing acrobatics when leaving Ponyboy's house before the rumble. 

Hope this helps!

Someone has left a bottle of cognac and roses on Edgar Allan Poe’s grave since 1949. Has anyone ever discovered who it is and why? Any ideas? ...

As the 207th anniversary of the birth of Edgar Allan Poe falls on the 19th of January, 2016, speculation again revolves around the identity of the individual or individuals responsible for a decades-long tradition of placing three roses and half-empty bottle of cognac on the late poet and author’s grave. The mystery as to the identity of the individual(s) responsible for this tradition remains, as no credible suspect has emerged to claim title to this rather poignant and touching remembrance of Poe. What little information on this mysterious figure that exists is that of a single individual dressed in black, wearing a white scarf and wide-brimmed hat. While the identity of this individual(s) remains unknown, he or she has become popularly known as "the Poe Toaster," as in, "let’s drink a toast to Poe."

The best source of information on “the Poe Toaster” is the website maintained by the Edgar Allan Poe Society, a link to which is provided below. According to the Poe Society, the appearance of the three roses and bottle of cognac began in 1949 on the anniversary of Poe’s birth, and the practice continued until 2009, when the heretofore annual arrival of the roses and cognac ceased for unknown reasons. There are two main possibilities explaining why the roses and cognac are no longer placed on Poe’s gravesite. The first, and most obvious, is that the individual responsible died. The second, and also credible theory is that public fascination with uncovering the identity of the mystery person(s) drove the responsible party away. As Poe fans and others simply interested in spying the mystery person(s) began staking out the cemetery where Poe is buried, the responsible person(s) may have decided that it was no longer worth continuing what had been a sincere, heartfelt display of admiration and appreciation for the long-deceased writer. Either way, the roses and cognac are no longer delivered, although imposters (known as “Faux Toasters”) have attempted to usurp the mystery person(s) persona.

So, who might have been responsible for the annual display of appreciation for Edgar Allan Poe? One can only surmise, but the pool of possible candidates could run into the thousands, or more. Public fascination with Poe remains strong, although it is not as prominent as it was in early periods, especially during the years when film director Roger Corman was making low-budget movies ostensibly based upon—and using the titles of—Poe’s short stories and poems. Obviously, the individual or individuals responsible greatly admired Poe’s body of work, as well as the tragedy that befell this master of the macabre. That, however, as noted, could be any one of thousands of Poe’s admirers. There is no obvious explanation for the specific items left at the grave, although members of the Poe Society believe that the three roses are for the three people buried at the gravesite: Poe, his wife Virginia, and Virginia’s mother, Maria Clemm. The reason for cognac is a complete mystery, as that particular alcoholic beverage plays no prominent role in any of Poe’s stories or poems.

As the roses and brandy first appeared in 1949 and continued until 2009, whoever it is, he or she has almost certainly died by now, as that 60-year span of time (logically assuming that the individual or individuals in question were adults in 1949) would make the original individual at least 80 years old, and probably older, although some college student of the time could have begun the tradition. In any event, there is no way to know the person’s identity. The Poe Society’s website notes the following:

“A note left for Jeff Jerome (curator of the Poe House and Museum in Baltimore) in 1993 stated somewhat cryptically that “the torch will be passed,” and another note left in 1999 indicated that the original “Toaster” had died within a few months before the annual event. After 1993, sightings of the visitor suggested two younger persons were exchanging the obligation between themselves, presumably in honor of their father.”

So, there you have it. An individual began and continued the tradition until he or she was no longer physically capable of carrying it out, at which time someone else continued the tradition until 2009.

In Othello, how does Iago's plan involve Roderigo and Brabantio?

Iago shows himself to be a master manipulator and an excellent predictor of other people's behavior in “Othello”. He plants himself beneath Brabantio’s window to give him information about his daughter’s elopement, but he has the sense to hide himself from Brabantio’s view so that he can deliver the information and still be able to deny doing so. He knows that Brabantio is ultimately a racist, that whatever respect Brabantio has for Othello’s skill as a military leader will be trumped by his disgust at a black man marrying his daughter. He plays on Brabantio’s prejudices brilliantly, and manages to get Othello called in front of the Senate to defend himself, all the while making sure no one suspects he’s behind it.

He's also extremely good at manipulating Roderigo by playing on Roderigo’s desperate, unrequited love for Desdemona. Iago mentions he’s made Roderigo his “purse” – he’s getting Roderigo to supply him with money – and convinces Roderigo to carry out parts of his plan that he can’t prudently perform himself, like the (unsuccessful) murder of Cassio. Iago is a scarily good manipulator of people and continues to puppeteer them right up until Act Five when he realizes that he’s been unable to predict or manipulate the one person he assumes he knows best – his own wife.

Who are the villains and heroes in Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby?

This question is a little more complicated than it might seem. At first glance, the heroes and villains of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel seem pretty obvious: Gatsby is the protagonist and the hero, while Tom is the antagonist and villain. The novel, however, isn't as simple as that, and the characters are often a complex amalgamation of both heroism and villainy.

Gatsby, for example, is an unabashed materialist who's earned his money by illegal and dishonest means. Based on this characteristic, it would be easy to call him a villain. However, he's also quite the idealist, he genuinely loves Daisy, and he also selflessly takes the blame for a hit-and-run accident he had nothing to do with. By themselves, these qualities would be considered heroic, but it's hard to call them that when they're also combined with the aforementioned negative qualities.

It's obviously difficult to say anything positive about Tom, as he's pretty generally a bully and a misogynist. However, if we're going to condemn Tom for having an affair, shouldn't we also condemn Gatsby and Daisy? After all, they too have an extramarital affair, and it seems inconsistent to praise them while condemning Tom. Along the same lines, though Nick is often thought of as the moral compass in the novel, shouldn't we also condemn him for facilitating Gatsby and Daisy's affair? And don't forget that Daisy, the idealized love interest, selfishly allows Gatsby to take the blame for Myrtle Wilson's death. 

In short, the characters in the book are complicated. Though Gatsby could be considered the classic hero and Tom the classic villain, these classifications are a little too simple. Rather, it would be more accurate to say that all of the characters (excluding Tom, of course) exhibit both heroic and villainous qualities, and so they can be either heroes or villains, depending on the moment. 

What is Sampson from Romeo and Juliet like, personality-wise?

Sampson, a servant of the house of Capulet, appears primarily in Act 1, Scene 1.  From the beginning, we see him as a crass trash-talker, but one whose talk is bigger than his actions.

Right from the outset of the play, Sampson launches into a mini-tirade about the Montagues.  A few lines later, when members of the house of Montague actually arrive, Sampson states to Gregory, a fellow servant, "I will take the wall of any man or maid of Montague's" (Act 1, Scene 1, line 11).  During Shakespeare's time, sewage ran down the center of the street.  To "take the wall" was to walk closer to the wall, sending the other person closer to the sewage.  Thus, Sampson was basically saying that he would push the Montagues toward raw sewage.  He later discusses the Montague women in particularly crass terms -- even making a rape comment.

Yet when the Montagues approach, Sampson changes his tune.  He comments that he wants the members of the Montague house to start any fighting, and manages only to "bite his thumb."  While this is essentially the Romeo and Juliet version of a middle finger, it is far tamer than the trash-talking that immediately preceded it.

How would you appreciate A Midsummer Night's Dream as a comedy with reference to various characters?

Despite his reputation as an author of excellent tragedies and drama, Shakespeare is also often uproariously hilarious. Many people consider A Midsummer Night's Dream to be one of Shakespeare's funniest plays, and its status as a comedy owes much to its stellar cast of characters. In particular, the characters Puck and Nick Bottom do much to contribute to the play's comedic atmosphere.

Though all the craftsmen/players make for great comedic relief, Bottom is by far the funniest. An arrogant but lovable blowhard, Bottom yearns to play all the roles in the craftsmen's play and sees no potential problems with this arrangement. Furthermore, he spends much of the play wrapped up in a romance with the fairy queen Titania, despite the fact that he simultaneously sports a donkey's head. As such, Bottom gives the audience the chance to enjoy some good old-fashioned physical comedy as he struts around with donkey's ears sprouting out of his skull.

Though Puck is not as bombastic as Bottom, he still is a major contributor to the comedic plot. Indeed, Puck is responsible for mistaking the identities of the Athenians lost in the wood, and as such he administers the love potion to the wrong people and causes the complicated romantic confusion that serves as the play's main plot. In that case, if it weren't for Puck, most of the play's hilarious action would not take place.

In the story "Lamb to the Slaughter," describe how the writer presents the good and bad in Mary Maloney"s character.

In the beginning of the story Dahl presents Mary Maloney as the quintessential doting wife.  She is patiently waiting for the arrival of her husband.  All of her focus is on Patrick and her time with him.  

She merely wanted to satisfy herself that each minute that went by made it nearer the time when he would come home. As she bent over her sewing, she was curiously peaceful. This was her sixth month expecting a child. Her mouth and her eyes, with their new calm look, seemed larger and darker than before.

She is at peace with being at home.  She is deeply in love with Patrick, and she is pregnant.  That last detail really helps sell Mary as a good character.  Readers are not likely to assume that a pregnant female could possibly be a "bad guy."  Even after Mary kills Patrick, Dahl is still able to show her as a good character.  Her actions are all for the good of her unborn child.  

On the other hand, what about the baby? What were the laws about murderers with unborn children? Did they kill them both -- mother and child? Did they wait until the baby was born? What did they do? Mary Maloney didn't know and she wasn't prepared to take a chance.

As for presenting Mary as a bad character, Dahl is able to do that by showing how calm and collected Mary becomes as she plots to get away with her actions.  She could probably have confessed and gotten off on some technicality, but instead she calmly sets up an alibi and finds a way to get investigators to eat the murder weapon.  But the part of the story that absolutely sells Mary as a bad character is the final lines.  She laughs at the cops' inability to solve the crime.  She's not remorseful in the slightest.  She's almost giddy with delight at what she has accomplished.    

"Personally, I think the weapon is somewhere near the house." "It's probably right under our noses. What do you think, Jack?" And in the other room, Mary Maloney began to laugh.

In part three, Beatty explains "Old Montag wanted to fly near the sun and now he's burnt his damn wings, he wonders why." Why is Bradbury comparing...

In many ways Montag's story up to this point parallels the Icarus myth.

First of all, Montag is being lead by Faber, an older man who has devised Montag's means of "escape"; a plan to destroy the fire houses. Faber continually warns Montag against rash action, and Montag frequently ignores Faber - he reads poetry in front of his wife and her friends, he talks to Faber through the earpiece in the presence of others, and he lets Beatty confuse and scare him when he returns to the firehouse. Like Icarus, Montag is warned about the dangers of recklessness and self-involvement.

Secondly, the moral of the Icarus myth warns against pride. Beatty believes Montag is demonstrating hubris by hiding books and plotting against him. He accuses Montag of being prideful while explaining his dream:

"'The folly of mistaking a metaphor for proof, a torrent of verbiage for a spring of capital truths, and oneself for an oracle, is inborn in us'"

and after they arrive at Montag's house:

"It was pretty silly, quoting poetry around free and easy like that. It was the act of a silly damn snob. Give a man a few lines of verse and he thinks he's the Lord of all Creation. You think you can walk on water with your books."

Finally, one of the main images in Fahrenheit 451 is the comparison between water and fire, or dryness and wetness. This parallels imagery from the Icarus myth. Although Icarus' wings were melted by the heat of the sun, he was killed by a fall into the sea.

What is Elie's family like in Night? To whom in his family does he seem most attached? With whom would he like to be closer?

Eliezer is a 12-year-old boy at the start of the story.  He lives in Sighet with his family. He is the only son; he has three sisters, two older (Hilda and Bea) and one younger (Tzipora).  At the start of the story, Eliezer speaks of his closeness with his mother.  On the contrary, while he respects his shopkeeper father, Eliezer's father often focuses his time and energy on others within the community as opposed to his own nuclear family.

This changes upon the family's arrival at the concentration camp.  Immediately, the women are separated from the men, and Elie is left alone with his father.  From that point on, Elie (who had wanted to be closer to his father) gets his chance to become close to his dad.  The two lean heavily on each other for support during their time at Auschwitz.

What were some characteristics of Catherine de' Medici?

Catherine de' Medici was born in Italy, but later married a French king.  She was extremely well educated for a woman in that time.  She had an extroverted personality and an appreciation for art.  Florence at the time of her birth and childhood was a center for Renaissance art.  She also developed an appreciation of architecture.  

After her marriage to King Henry II of France, Catherine had many children.  Three of her sons would later become king.  Though she was Catholic, Catherine promoted peace and tolerance toward French Protestants for much of her life.  These ideas were unusual amongst Catholic French royalty at this time.  Her way of thinking was influenced by progressive Renaissance ideas, which she had learned while growing up in Florence.

Catherine promoted the arts in France when she was queen.  She appreciated visual beauty.  She also brought Italian culinary influence to France.

What do the British and Americans have in common?

The British and the Americans had several things in common. The Americans were ruled by England as colonies for many years prior to the Revolutionary War. Once we got our independence from Great Britain, we modeled several important ideas after the British. Our system of government, while not identical, has similarities. Both countries elect their lawmakers. We modeled many of the ideas in the Declaration of Independence and in the Constitution after British ideas. The concept of natural rights and the idea of a Bill of Rights come from the philosophy of John Locke and from the English Bill of Rights.

There are other similarities. Our judicial system has similarities. Both countries have courts and believe in the idea that a person is innocent until proven guilty. Our language is also similar. Both countries believe in free market economic principles. Both countries have fought against the spread of authoritarian governments. We have worked to also prevent the spread of communism. There are many similarities between the British and the Americans.

How does Byron change when the Watsons arrive in Alabama? Why do you think he changes so suddenly? Provide text evidence to support your answer.

After the Watsons arrive in Alabama, Byron seemingly becomes a nicer boy overnight. Accordingly, the family makes the trip to Alabama in order to visit Grandma Sands and also to drop Byron off for a little stay with her. The hope is that Grandma Sands will straighten Byron out.

In Chapter 11, Kenny thinks that Grandma Sands will be no match for his troublemaker big brother. After all, she looks way too fragile to counteract the sort of misbehavior Byron is famous for. However, Kenny finds himself surprised when Grandma Sands puts Byron in his place when he answers her disrespectfully. Although Grandma Sands is small and withered, she's quite the disciplinarian; Kenny gets the idea that she's not the sort of old lady who will tolerate bad behavior. In fact, Grandma Sands may just be one of the main reasons Byron changes so suddenly.

"You good at following directions, Byron?” “Huh?” By’s face twisted up."What?” Grandma Sands’s voice popped like one of those big brown grocery bags being snapped open. By looked surprised and said, “I meant, ‘Huh, ma’am.’ “You good at following directions? Jobe’s is a good little walk.” I said,“He can follow directions real good, Grandma Sands, he’s not as dumb as he looks.” I shut up real quick and wished I hadn’t said anything when Grandma Sands looked at me and said,“ ’Lona, maybe there’s two who should be spending the summer down here with their granny.”

I started to think that making Byron spend all of his summer in this heat was more punishment than even a juvenile delinquent like him deserved. But he seemed like he was having a great time.

Kenny also thinks that the Alabama heat is too much for Byron and has temporarily incapacitated Byron's ability to behave badly. However, he also thinks that Byron seems to be enjoying himself; presumably, being away from Buphead's bad influence has also made a difference in Byron's attitudes.

Byron's change is further evident when he refuses to go to Collier's Landing with Kenny and Joey. Meanwhile, Kenny can't believe that the rebellious brother he used to know would listen to any adult, but here he is warning Kenny not to go to Collier's Landing just because Grandma Sands says so. Later, by all indications, Byron even saves Kenny from being drowned. Living in a wholesome environment has certainly helped Byron to act more like the big brother he should be.

When Kenny becomes shell-shocked after the bombing of Joey's church, it is Byron who comforts Kenny and offers him supportive words of wisdom to guide him out of his emotional paralysis. Byron's emerging maturity appears to be fueled by his experience staying with Grandma Sands in Alabama.

Great Britain passed the Stamp Act to collect what from the colonies?

The British Parliament, led by Prime Minister George Grenville, passed the Stamp Act to collect revenue, or money, from the colonies. The British had just fought a long, exhausting, and very expensive war against France, known as the French and Indian War in the colonies and the Seven Years' War in Europe. They argued (justifiably) that they had fought to protect the colonies from their French and Indian neighbors. The French had been driven off, and the British stationed troops on the frontier to deal with the threat posed by Native peoples (or more accurately by American settlers moving into Indian lands). Stationing these soldiers in America cost money, and, for the reasons mentioned above, the British government had an enormous war debt already. So the ministry of King George decided to try to make the colonists foot some of the bill by imposing a stamp tax that was basically a tax on certain types of documents. The colonists protested that this tax was illegal because they had no representatives in Parliament. The tax was repealed a year later due to the protests, which caught the British very much by surprise, but a host of new measures followed.

What do you know about Todd Wainio's character in World War Z? What's his background?

It is fairly important to understand that “background” of a character as he fights in the zombie apocalypse isn’t necessarily important; however, we can certainly talk about what we do know, as readers, about Todd Wainio. In short, it is from Todd Wainio that we learn about most of the zombie battles in World War Z.

Todd Wainio gives us many details about humans’ accouterments used to fight the zombies (and he does so in a very conversational style). When reading epic poetry, these kinds of lists would be a combination of a catalog and a description of armor. Often, the exact type of military vehicles are listed and described, such as in this section:

Dude, we had everything: tanks, Bradley, Humvees. ... We had Avenger Humvee mounted Stinger surface-to-air missile sets, we had this AVLB portable bridge layer system …. We had a bunch of XM5 electronic warfare vehicles all crammed with radar and jamming gear.

Even further in this section, Todd gives us a description of the battle armor and the “Land Warrior System,” both of which will also help humanity defeat the zombies during the world war. Also keep in mind that this description is given before the battle at Yonkers where Todd learns even more about what is needed to fight the zombies. Therefore, by the time the Battle of Hope happens, the warriors have a new set of vehicles, armor, and systems that are created anew to help in the fight.

Todd Wainio also shows us that it is important to have personal independence and smarts in order to survive in this era. Before the zombies took over the human world, the military soldiers used to be really good at playing games and pushing buttons in order to kill. This was something that didn’t take too much skill or smarts (says Todd Wainio). Now, however, a soldier has to be extraordinarily skilled in order to operate something like a SIR. Further that soldier has to have a decent mind and be mentally sound in order to operate the SIR and other sophisticated weapons. The machines in the above descriptions, then, can’t save us. Only skilled and independent people can save us from the zombies.

In conclusion, please realize that some people believe Todd Wainio is the protagonist of World War Z while others claim another character (such as the interviewer) is the protagonist. As the suggested protagonist, Todd does show the reader the importance of camaraderie in regards to keeping spirits up among the battles. Todd’s focus? The beauty of humanity: “It was a new army, as much the people as anything else.”

Why did Madison propose a new plan of government with three branches? What was he trying to achieve?

James Madison proposed a plan of government that would have three branches. One of the big concerns the writers of the Constitution had was to create a new plan of government that would be stronger and have more power than the government had under the plan created by the Articles of Confederation. At the same time, the writers feared a new federal government that had too much power. They remembered the problems we had when the British government had complete power and authority.

By proposing a plan of government with three branches, James Madison was hoping to give the government more power but not too much power so that it would be overbearing. Each branch of government would have a different job. No branch would be able to do everything by itself. The legislative branch would make the laws. The executive branch would execute or carry out the laws. The judicial branch would interpret the laws. This concept, known as separation of powers, would help prevent the federal government from having too much power. It would have enough power to deal with issues that arose, but not too much power to have total control.

With the system of checks and balances, where the branches would have ways to control each other, and with separation of powers, the new government would have the power to effectively run the government, but not have too much power to become dictatorial.

How does Shakespeare present the idea of mortality in Act V, Scene I? How does this relate to Hamlet’s character in the rest of the play?

Act V, Scene 1 presents Hamlet's "Alas, poor Yorick" soliloquy, in which we find our prince yet again pondering death. This time, Shakespeare presents death through the eyes of a few unlikely sources: first, through a pair of gravediggers; and second, indirectly through a jester's skull.

As the gravediggers prepare for Ophelia's funeral, we get a much different view of death from that presented thus far in the play. This pair pokes fun by literally joking; the first proposes a riddle to the second, to which they themselves are the answer. Their jests contrast sharply with their task, especially in light of the fact that they also debate Ophelia's funeral rites because they believe she committed suicide. Suicide has been an idea Hamlet has pondered since Act I; yet for him, it has never been a joking matter. He has seriously considered the act but has always feared for his eternal soul.

When Hamlet reveals himself to the gravediggers, he asks about the skulls they have unearthed. They reveal that one of the skulls belonged to Yorick, who was Hamlet's father's court jester and Hamlet's childhood companion. The reality of the certainty of death settles upon Hamlet. He reflects upon all the great men in history who are now no more than dust and bones. At this point in the play, Hamlet is able to see beyond himself and his present circumstances, which he has not been able to do before now.

Write a character sketch of Mrs. Hutton from The Story of My Life.

Mrs. Hutton was the wife of Mr. Laurence Hutton at the time when she and Helen Keller became friends.  Helen was friends with both Mr. and Mrs. Hutton.  The couple lived in a "lovely home" in New York City, which Helen visited often.  

Mrs. Hutton was a loyal friend to Helen.  In fact, Helen noted that a lot of what she "[held] sweetest" and "most precious" was because of her dear friend.  Her friend offered her advice and guidance when she was at school.  When Helen would become discouraged, Mrs. Hutton wrote her encouraging letters.  It is evident from Helen's descriptions of her that Mrs. Hutton was a motherly figure who sought to mentor a young woman who was living away from her own mother.  She had a large amount of loyalty and was always willing to help her friends.

The editor of The Story of My Life thanked Mrs. Hutton in the preface for providing many notes about Helen.

What do Ignorance and Want mean in A Christmas Carol?

Ignorance and Want represent mankind’s need to take care of children.

When Scrooge is visited by two men asking for money for charity, he scoffs at the idea.  He suggests that he already takes care of the poor by paying taxes that fund prisons and workhouses.  He sends the men off without giving them anything.

Scrooge attends many events from his past, and begins to get more reflective.  By the time he has finished viewing what is going on around him in the present and how he influences people’s lives, he is starting to regret his negligence in doing his duty to help the poor.  The ghost finally confronts him with two skeletally thin children.  He asks who they belong to, and the Ghost of Christmas Present tells him that they belong to mankind.

“And they cling to me, appealing from their fathers. This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both, and all of their degree; but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased. …” (Stave 2)

Scrooge’s reaction to the two children is completely different than how he reacted to the poor in the first chapter.  He is no longer thinking of himself, and the thought of the children going to a workhouse is now repellent to him.  When he asks about the children, the ghost throws his words back at him with vehemence.

“Have they no refuge or resource?” cried Scrooge.

“Are there no prisons?” said the Spirit, turning on him for the last time with his own words. “Are there no workhouses?” (Stave 2)

Scrooge is a different person now than when he said those words.  He cared about Tiny Tim, and he cares about these children too.  He is already transforming into the Scrooge who cares about other people.  One of the first things he does when he wakes up in his own present again is find the men he denied gifts too and promise them an enormous sum for their fund.

Dickens wrote this book in order to remind people not to just walk past the needy on the street.  It worked.  When people saw beggars in the street, they thought about Tiny Tim.  Eventually, laws were passed providing funds for public education and ending the workhouse system.  Scrooge showed people that they are responsible for the children of their society.