Who were the three new roommates Lyddie interacted with? How did they treat her?

Lyddie is introduced to her three new roommates in chapter 8.  She has just arrived in the city after her travels which are explained in chapter 7.  Lyddie is on her way to the city, but she has no idea what to expect there.  She has no idea where she will stay or anything like that.  During chapter 7, Lyddie helps get the carriage that she is riding in unstuck.  Her grit and intelligence impresses the driver of the carriage, and he introduces Lyddie to his sister, Mrs. Bedlow.  Mrs. Bedlow owns and operates a boarding house for the factory working girls.  She takes Lyddie under her wing and helps Lyddie find a room at the boarding house and some new clothes.  

Lyddie meets her three roommates.  Their names are Amelia, Prudence, and Betsy.  It's a fairly standard first roommate encounter.  They are friendly and cordial, but are not immediately the best of friends.  That takes some time, and Betsy and Lyddie wind up being quite close by the end of the book.  It's Betsy that reads to Lyddie and teaches her the importance of education. Prudence isn't around for that much of the book.  She gets sick and ends up leaving the factory.  Amelia is a bit higher class than Lyddie and takes it upon herself to teach Lyddie a bit more social etiquette.  Amelia isn't being stuck up about it; she just wants Lyddie to learn a bit more class.  

How does Harpo know Sofia isn’t coming back?

Harpo and Sophia are, perhaps, the couple most truly in love in Alice Walker's The Color Purple.  They are also the two characters who most exhibit swapping gender roles in a traditional relationship.  Harpo and Sophia were happily married until Harpo, after years of watching his father abuse Celie in every possible way, began questioning why Sophia didn't "mind" him the way Celie did Albert.  Celie, motivated by a jealousy that she grew to regret bitterly and later repent of, advised Harpo to beat Sophia into submission. Sophia, however, had made a pledge to herself years before that she would not accept such abuse, and she fights back. By Letter 32, Sophia has been gone from the home she shared with Harpo and the children for six months.  Harpo is openly distraught during this time and begins to assert his manhood and his independence by seeing other women. Finally, he and a friend convert the home he once shared with Sophia into a juke joint, and when Celie asks him what Sophia will think about this when she comes back, Harpo tells her that he knows now that she won't be returning.

In The Call of the Wild by Jack London, how does Buck perform when he succeeds Spitz as lead dog?

In The Call of the Wild by Jack London, Buck performs exceedingly well when he succeeds former lead dog Spitz. At first, the drivers want to use another lead dog, but Buck refuses to allow it, inserting himself in the lead dog position until finally he is allowed to stay there. 

"Francois complied, whereupon Buck trotted in, laughing triumphantly, and swung around into position at the head of the team. His traces were fastened, the sled broken out, and with both men running, they dashed out on to the river trail" (London Chapter 4).

The drivers, Francois and Perrault, soon learn that they have underestimated Buck. Though they thought Sol-leks would be the better lead dog, they quickly realized they were wrong. Buck, not only did his job, but he also made sure the other dogs did theirs. Francois had thought Spitz was the best lead dog he had ever worked with, but now Buck was proving to be even better. 

"'Never such a dog as dat Buck!' he cried. 'No, never! Him worth one thousand dollair, by Gar! Eh? What you say, Perrault'" (London Chapter 4)?

Buck was such a good leader, in fact, that the team had a record run and made it to Skagway in just two weeks time.  

How do the sisters' conversation at the beginning of Tolstoy's story "How Much Land Does a Man Need?" foreshadow what happens later?

As my colleague rightly explains, the sisters argue passionately about the ramifications of their different lifestyles. Each remains convinced that her way of life is much safer, more dependable, and more satisfying. The sisters' argument centers on the theme of contentment.

Pahom, the husband of the younger sister, thinks that more land will ensure his security to the point that he wouldn't have to fear the Devil himself. His wife's assertion that the land is the center of the peasant's security prompts Pahom to covet more land. In due time, Pahom becomes a landowner, and he is justly proud of everything he manages to accomplish on his land. However, Pahom discovers that ownership comes with sundry annoyances and trials he would rather do without. His neighbors encroach on his land and test his patience. Pahom finds himself quarreling with them and imagines that he would be happier if he had even more land.

Here, we begin to see how the sisters' argument foreshadows Pahom's eventual downfall. The younger sister accuses her older sister of living a decadent and covetous lifestyle. She asserts that city life comes with too many temptations and uncertainties; she claims to be contented with a simple peasant's life. However, it is her own husband who faces ruin and eventual death because of his covetousness. Pahom never realizes that the temptations in his path will ultimately destroy him.

The author foreshadows Pahom's downfall beautifully by shining a spotlight on questions regarding temptation and covetousness. The sisters' argument sets the stage for Pahom's story to unfold. When he thinks that he has gotten a good bargain at the expense of the Bashkirs, Pahom is ecstatic. He imagines that he can get as much land as he wants for a trivial price. But, how much land does a man really need? If he loses his life in the act of procurement, has he really gained anything? The sisters' conversation foreshadows Pahom's destruction, but it also highlights a main theme of the story: discernment is lacking in someone who is covetous. The unfolding story clearly shows that a man is not exempt from temptation, whether he lives in the country or the city.

The story ends on an ironic note, but does answer the question posed in the title:

His servant picked up the spade and dug a grave long enough for Pahom to lie in, and buried him in it. Six feet from his head to his heels was all he needed.

What kinds of work did slaves do in Ancient Mesopotamia and in the world today?

Slaves in Mesopotamia were generally prisoners of war. Sometimes, however, children were sold into slavery by their parents in desperate economic times. The wealthy of the civilization were the ones that could own the slaves and the slave became the property of the owner. Slaves mostly worked domestic chores in the homes of the wealthy, but could also be used in the temple to do work for the priests. Some slaves worked in the fields, but this was pretty uncommon since the wealthy were generally not involved in farming. Some female slaves were used as concubines by the master. The master could also support slaves with skills to operate a business or apprenticeship. This was not done with the purpose of making the slaves life better, but as an investment in future returns, the slaves could bring him.

Today, slavery still exists in the world and is a major problem. Today slaves are much cheaper to acquire and are seen as disposable commodities. Slaves today are used as unskilled manual laborers to produce agricultural goods or consumer goods. There is also a darker side to the slave trade today that uses slaves in illicit sex trafficking rings. This trade accounts to close to a quarter of all slaves and is estimated to be numbered at close to five million slaves.

Describe Montag’s transition from duty-bound fireman to intellectual revolutionary.

At the beginning of the novel, Montag is fully satisfied with his life as a fireman. He takes pleasure in burning the books and has a visceral high from his job, somewhat like an addiction: 

He knew that when he returned to the firehouse, he might wink at himself, a minstrel man, burntcorked, in the mirror. Later, going to sleep, he would feel the fiery smile still gripped by his face muscles, in the dark. It never went away, that. smile, it never ever went away, as long as he remembered. 

In this role, Montag is a tool of the authorities. He has been conditioned and brainwashed to believe that burning books is a righteous vocation. He has also been taught that creative thinking and questioning things are practices that will only lead to dysfunction and unhappiness. So, he doesn't think of such things. 

The first instance that sparks the beginning of change in Montag occurs with his first conversation with Clarisse. After bombarding him with questions, she leaves asking him if he is happy. He is struck by the fact that she got him to think about himself in a profound way: 

People were more often-he searched for a simile, found one in his work-torches, blazing away until they whiffed out. How rarely did other people's faces take of you and throw back to you your own expression, your own innermost trembling thought? 

He goes home and has to deal with Mildred's overdose. Then he actually says, "I don't know anything anymore." He is clearly uncertain about things at this point, whereas at the beginning of the novel, he is comfortable and happy in his ignorance. 

Another conversation with Clarisse moves Montag to have more questions. He sees a woman choose to burn with her books during a raid on her house. This affects him deeply. In a later conversation with Millie regarding this event, he says, "There must be something in books, things we can't imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don't stay for nothing." Montag steals a book from the raid. 

His curiosity about books and knowledge increases. He takes more books. He seeks out advice from Faber, a college professor. Clarisse's disappearance also is a clue. He begins questioning a society that would eliminate a girl simply for being curious about life. In a culminating moment, he reads poetry to Millie and her friends. This leads Millie and one of her friends to turn Montag in. But by this point, he has his mind set on becoming the intellectual revolutionary. In the end, he must flee his own home and happens upon the other traveling intellectuals. 

How did the Puritans justify the taking of Native American land?

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful and
multiply and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea,
and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.  --Genesis I:28. 

The Puritans believed that God blessed them with the lands of the New World. Their main justification for taking Indian land was that the Native American populations were not using the land effectively, so it was their divine right to take the lands that belonged to the Native Americans.  Since the Native Americans did not understand land ownership in the same way that the English did, it was not as difficult to take it from them.  The Indians did not build cities or towns and the land looked to be undeveloped in the eyes of the Puritans.  The colonists believed that the land was being under-utilized and that they were actually providing the Indians with a service by civilizing their culture.  In quoting scriptures from the Bible, like the one referenced above, the Puritans felt a sense of moral calm in taking the land from the Native Americans.  

What is some evidence of comedy in ''The Mouse'' by Saki?

While Saki writes social satire that is often biting, frequently it is amusing as it is in his short story "The Mouse." Demonstrating both sparkling wit and good humor, this story deals with a rather unconventional subject and practical jokes on the main character. As such, Saki's light-hearted ridicule of the foibles of human nature is an experience many enjoy.

It is the fastidious nature of Theodoric Voler, who is part of an Edwardian society which has screened him from "the coarser realities of life," that Saki satirizes so humorously in his story. When he is forced to help the vicar's daughter with harnessing the pony to the carriage which will carry him to the railroad station, Voler is repulsed by the "ill-lighted building called a stable" that smells of hay and mice. A narrative voice that is imitative of the supercilious Voler describes his thoughts, exemplifying how sanitized his life has been, and especially, how superior he has felt himself:

Without being actually afraid of mice, Theodoric classed them among the coarser incidents of life, and considered that Providence, with a little exercise of moral courage, might long ago have recognised that they were not indispensable, and have withdrawn them from circulation.

After having boarded the train, Theodoric worries that he may have inhaled mold from the hay. Then, too, he is concerned about his privacy as he notices a woman occupying the compartment with him. Even worse, he realizes that he is not alone with the sleeping lady; "he was not even alone in his clothes," Saki adds, with humor.

Theodoric worries about how he will get the mouse out of his clothes in front of another passenger because he has "never shown so much as his work socks in the presence of the fair sex." He tries to remove the rodent from his clothing by hanging his railway rug between him and the sleeping woman. Then, as the mouse scampers up and down his body, Theodoric struggles to extricate the pest "in violent haste." Finally, it falls from his clothes, but the mouse knocks down the rug between the woman and him. The modest Theodoric is mortified, of course, but the woman seems undaunted. He quickly pulls the rug over him. Then he notices that the train is about to arrive at the station. Theodoric must dress somehow. With satiric humor, Saki writes,

Like a hunted beast breaking cover and dashing madly toward some other haven of momentary safety he threw aside his rug, and struggled frantically into his disheveled garments.

Afterwards, Theodoric feels a choking and pounding feeling in his throat; there seems to be an icy stare pointed toward him, but he is afraid to look. Then, as the train slows, the woman asks if he would be so kind as to find her a porter who can get her into a cab, as she is blind. Certainly, this ironic twist adds much humor to the tale as all Theodoric's fastidious efforts at concealment of his person have been superfluous.

Why were The Canterbury Tales important in Geoffrey Chaucer's time, and why are they important now?

Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales is a vast and sweeping work that grapples with many important issues, so it's impossible to answer this question by providing all the reasons why the poem was and continues to be relevant. As such, my answer will involve my own particular interpretation, and you should be aware that other scholars might choose to focus on other important themes. For my part, however, I believe that the innovative interplay of social classes is what makes Chaucer's masterpiece stand out. 

The poem features the interaction of many different social groups and classes of people, from the high and mighty Knight to simple craftsmen, such as the Carpenter. By doing so, Chaucer illustrates a society striking in its diversity, and we're treated to multiple perspectives based on the social standing of different characters. This exploration of differing ideas and viewpoints would have been important in Chaucer's day, and it has only become more relevant in contemporary society. In a time when the middle class faces heavier financial burdens and the poor are becoming poorer and the rich more wealthy, it's important to remember that our society is composed of vast numbers of people from different walks of life. We do not need only the perspectives of the upper classes (which, in Chaucer's poem, would have been represented by the Knight). Instead, we need many different views from all members of society, including the perspectives of people like the Carpenter, the Weaver, the Yeoman and the Plowman, Chaucer's characters from more "humble" origins. 

How would an acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor impact the following organs? Heart, Bladder, GI tract, and Sweat Glands?

Acetylcholinesterase is an enzyme which breaks down acetylcholine. If this enzyme is inhibited, the amount of acetylcholine will be higher.

Acetylcholine is a type of neurotransmitter that acts in a number of systems.

Acetylcholine is the neurotransmitter that passes between motor neurons and muscles at the neuromuscular junction. Thus, acetylcholine is needed to initiate muscle contraction. Usually, acetylcholine is rapidly broken down. However, in the presence of the AChE inhibitor, the muscle would receive a longer signal from the motor neuron, increasing the duration of the contraction. For this reason, AChE inhibitors can result in increased urine retention. As a result, AChE inhibitors are sometimes prescribed to help control overactive bladder.

Acetylcholine also acts on the parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system innervates the smooth muscle of the GI tract. AChE inhibitor will result in sustained stimulation of this muscle. Similarly, sustained parasympathetic activation can result in bradycardia (slow heart beat).

Acetylcholine is also the neurotransmitter present in the sudomotor system (part of the sympathetic nervous system). Basically, these are the neurons which control the sweat glands. So an AChE inhibitor would result in a longer signal to the sweat glands and increased sweating.

So, to summarize, the effects of AChE inhibitors on the heart, bladder, GI tract, and sweat glands would be, respectively, bradycardia, urine retention, hypermotility, and hypersecretion. 

Describe the events that lead to the hanging of the dead albatross around the mariner's neck.

The "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge is an embedded narrative. The "present" of the poem is a wedding party at which one of the wedding guests is stopped by the "ancient mariner" (an old sailor) of the title. The sailor recounts the story of a past voyage during which his ship was blown off course towards Antarctica. 

During this voyage, the mariner's ship is trapped in the ice and the sailors are in great danger from the ice. While they are so trapped, an albatross, traditionally believed to be a sign of good luck, visits the ship. The sailors see this bird as a good omen and feed it. The ship is freed from the ice and begins to sail north. The albatross continues to follow the boat north and the sailors see it as the cause of favorable winds. The ancient mariner, though, in an act of random violence, shoots the albatross with his crossbow, bringing bad luck to the ship and its crew. As a result:

Instead of the cross, the Albatross

About my neck was hung [by fellow sailors].

This is done to punish him for killing the bird that had brought the ship good luck.

Who was Lord Byron? What are three interesting facts about him?

Lord Byron, an English poet of the early 19th Century, was a prominent figure within the Romantic literary movement. His two best-known poems were Don Juan and Childe Harold's Pilgrimage. He was as prominent in English society 200 years ago as any major rock star is today.

He was close friends with Percy Bysshe Shelley, a fellow Romantic poet, and Shelley's girlfriend (later wife) Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. One summer night in 1816, the three of them (along with Dr. John Polidori and Mary's sister Claire Claremont) stayed at Byron's estate in Geneva, Switzerland and had a writing contest. They had one night to write a horrifying story. Mary wrote a short draft that later became Frankenstein. (Polidori wrote a vampire story; Byron and Shelley's stories amounted to very little.)

Byron had scandalous affairs with many prominent women. One of them, Lady Caroline Lamb, described him as "mad, bad and dangerous to know." From this, we get the adjective "Byronic."

Byron had a club foot. Despite this, he went on late in his life (He died at age 36) to be something of a war hero in Greek's war of independence from the Ottoman Empire (modern Turkey). He had no military experience, but his personal wealth helped the movement immensely. He got sick and died during the war (However bad his illness was, the primitive state of medicine at the time is likely what killed him). He is considered a hero to Greeks to this day.

Which electrons in an atom are involved in forming a chemical bond?

The electrons in the outermost electron shell are responsible for forming chemical bonds. These electrons are also known as valence electrons. Chemical bonds are formed when the outermost electron shells are not completely filled and atom needs more (or less) electrons to completely fill the outermost shell. For example, sodium has an atomic number of 11 and an electronic configuration of 1s2, 2s2, 2p6, 3s1. Thus, sodium has 1 valence electron and it readily loses it to gain a fully filled outermost shell (2p in this case). Chlorine, on the other hand, has 7 valence electrons and gains an electron to fully fill its outermost shell (3p). In some case, reacting atoms share their valence electrons (covalent bond, typical in case of non-metals), instead of losing or gaining them (as in ionic bonding) and achieve fully filled outermost electron shells.

Hope this helps.

In the book "To Kill A Mockingbird," how old are Tom Robinson's children?

I do not believe we are ever told the ages of Tom Robinson's children in To Kill a Mockingbird. Tom is 25 years old, and is married to a woman named Helen. They have three children. One is named Sam, but Harper Lee does not note the names of the other two, or the ages of any of them. We can assume from the fact that Tom is 25 that his children are young; most likely the oldest would be 7 or possibly 8 years old.

Tom apparently has had a decent life until the Ewells accuse him of the rape of Mayella. He has a job despite having a "withered" left arm, has a family, and is a kind and compassionate person. We know this because he takes pity on Mayella, a poor 19 year old white girl who lives in poverty and is raising her younger siblings. Tom tries to help her when he can. When Mayella mistakes his kindness for something more and kisses him, her worthless, drunkard father sees him and accuses Tom of rape. Tom's trial and lynching are key plot points in the book.

How do I find commonplace topics in "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" by William Wordsworth?

Read the poem and look for anything you can see or feel on any given day. These can be considered “commonplace” or ordinary topics.

At the beginning of the scene, the narrator is walking by himself rather aimlessly. He compares his ramble with the movement of clouds. You can imagine a gray-shaded day because of the cloud simile. Then he comes upon a field of daffodils. The yellow flowers are bright, cheery, and welcoming; they offer a completely different scene. The narrator’s mood improves just by looking at them. Later he discovers that whenever he feels sad or low or depressed (“In vacant or pensive mood”), he can simply think of the daffodils and make himself happy again.

I would count walking, clouds, daffodils, various moods, and the ability to deliberately change one’s mood as being sights and experiences that we can all share as humans. Someone else may say that they are also trivial or nearly worthless since they are so common. Wordsworth finds value in even the most casual or ordinary encounter here.

Who is Adela Strangeworth?

Adela Strangeworth is the main character in "The Possibility of Evil." She is a 71-year-old lady who has lived in the town all of her life. Her grandfather built the house that she lives in and she is proud of the fact that it was the first house to be built on that street. She is also proud of her grandmother who planted the roses which surround her house. Her mother tended these roses and they are now her prized responsibility.

On the surface, Miss Strangeworth appears like any other elderly lady. She is well-known and well-liked by other residents of the town, as shown by their positive reactions when she walks down Main Street. What they do not realise, however, is that Miss Strangeworth is the author of the poisoned pen letters which have blighted the lives of many residents. Ironically, Miss Strangeworth believes that these letters are protecting the town from evil when, in fact, they represent the source of all the town's evil. 

What is the meaning of the phrase, "A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser"?

Montresor takes a lot of pride in explaining (or over-explaining) the means, reasons, and effects of his revenge. In this phrase, Montresor is saying that a wrong is not really avenged if the punishment (retribution) controls or overtakes the redresser (Montresor). What is meant by "overtakes"? I think it means one of two things. The wrong is not really avenged if the retribution becomes more important than the person exacting the retribution. In other words, Montresor wants to punish Fortunato, but he wants this to be about himself and Fortunato. The other, more accepted explanation of this line is that the redresser should not get caught. This is what is meant by the retribution taking over the redresser. If the redresser gets too involved with the retribution, he may forget the overall strategy. He may get careless and get caught. He will be overtaken by the retribution. Montresor seems to be saying that revenge will not be as satisfying if he gets caught himself. So, he vows to remain in control of the retribution. 

This is why Montresor chooses to bury Fortunato. He essentially hides all evidence of his crime. In this way, he completely controls the retribution and the evidence. 

In the beginning of Monster, what would be 2 good characteristics for O'Brien?

Two characteristics to define O'Brien at the beginning of Monster could be "focused" and "unemotional."

As the novel opens, O'Brien is incredibly focused.  She wants to make sure that she does the best job she can. Her focused nature can be seen in how she is very direct with Stevie about what she wants from him.  She talks to Steve in a very direct manner ("Let me make sure you understand what's going on.")  She instructs him that he "better take this trial very, very seriously."  When O'Brien insists that he just "sit there and pay attention," it is as if she does not want him to get in the way of her goal.  When he asks her in a very human way if she thinks they are going to "win," she gives a terse answer about what defines a "win," and leaves.  O'Brien is concerned with "her job" which is about "the law."  While she wants to make him a "human being" in the eyes of the jury, it is only to feed her purpose. 

O'Brien views Steve with a lack of emotion.  O'Brien does not seek to forge any real connection with Steve as a human being although she wants the jury to forge a bond with Steve.  When Steve tells her that he is "writing this whole thing down as a movie," she dismisses him with "Whatever."  Steve is a kid, but O'Brien has no concern about his emotional condition.  For her, the case is about the job at hand, the trial in front of her, and the evidence she will use to accomplish her purpose.

What does the title "Heart of Darkness" mean?

Joseph Conrad's masterful novella "Heart of Darkness" is about a steamboat captain named Marlow who narrates his harrowing trip into the heart or center of the Congo Free State in Africa. Marlow describes his long fascination with the Congo River, a body of water he likens to a "snake" that winds its way through Africa. His interest in the river motivates him to sign on as a captain with a European ivory trading company that is brutally exploiting local people to reap large profits.

The phrase "heart of darkness" has many meanings. Africa was known to Europeans and Americans as "the dark continent" in part because its land and ways were mysterious to outsiders. In addition, the phrase has a pejorative or negative connotation because the "darkness" of Africans was, in the minds of Europeans, associated with darkness in their souls and their supposed inferiority. However, Conrad's point is that the darkness lies not with the Africans but with the brutal European traders.

As Marlow, Conrad's narrator, goes deeper into the heart of Africa, he finds the darkness in the Europeans he encounters, particularly Kurtz, the station master who Marlow is looking for. While other members of the trading company speak of Kurtz in glowing terms, it becomes clear to Marlow that Kurtz has actually become corrupted by the evils of slavery. He writes of Kurtz, "his soul was mad. Being alone in the wilderness, it had looked within itself, and, by heavens! I tell you, it had gone mad." Kurtz has made himself into a type of god worshipped by the locals, and he is clearly charismatic. However, he has used his power to enslave the local people. When Marlow meets him, Kurtz is near death, and, when he perishes, his final words are, "The horror! The horror." With these words, Kurtz tries to repent of his evils. It is clear that slavery and the brutality of European colonialism have corrupted Kurtz and turned his heart to darkness. It is he, not the African people, who has become the embodiment of darkness in the book. 

How did the alliance systems lead to the Bosnian crisis?

The Alliance System was a series of treaties (alliances) at the end of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th century between European Great Power countries. They essentially set up the powerful nations of Europe as groups of friendly entities who had to support each other in the case of dispute or war.

The major alliances were:

The Triple Alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy, signed in 1882.

The Entente Cordiale between Britain and France, signed in 1904.

The Anglo-Russian Convention between Britain and Russia, signed in 1907.

In 1908, Austria-Hungary stated its intention to annex Bosnia and Herzegovina. This upset the balance of power that had been established by the Alliance System because Serbia and Montenegro were the neighbors of Bosnia and Herzegovina and laid claim to the area, while nearby Italy wanted compensation as well. Russia historically supported Serbia, due to shared Slavic culture, but its defeat in 1905 in the Russo-Japanese War left Russia unable to lend any clout against Austria-Hungary.

The political crisis ended in 1909 through diplomacy in a seeming victory for Austria-Hungary, but in effect it increased tensions between Austria-Hungary, Serbia, Italy and Russia. This meant that Britain and France also had to take sides.

Prior to World War I, due to these alliances, Europe had basically fallen into two "armed camps" with the allied nations of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy in the central part of Europe pitted against Britain and France to their west and Russia to their east. The Alliance System drew lines that would lead to a complete breakdown in diplomacy and the outbreak of World War I in the summer of 1914.

In short, rather than preventing conflict, the Alliance System was a root cause of the Bosnian Crisis and later of World War I.

`tan(u - v)` Find the exact value of the trigonometric expression given that sin(u) = -7/25 and cos(v) = -4/5 (Both u and v are in quadrant III.)

Given `sin(u)=-7/25 , cos(v)=-4/5`

using pythagorean identity,

`sin^2(u)+cos^2(u)=1`

`(-7/25)^2+cos^2(u)=1`

`cos^2(u)=1-49/625=(625-49)/625=576/625`

`cos(u)=sqrt(576/625)`

`cos(u)=+-24/25`

since u is in quadrant III,

`:.cos(u)=-24/25`

`sin^2(v)+cos^2(v)=1`

`sin^2(v)+(-4/5)^2=1`

`sin^2(v)+16/25=1`

`sin^2(v)=1-16/25=(25-16)/25=9/25`

`sin(v)=sqrt(9/25)`

`sin(v)=+-3/5`

since v is in quadrant III,

`:.sin(v)=-3/5`

Now let's evaluate tan(u-v),

`tan(u-v)=sin(u-v)/cos(u-v)`

`=(sin(u)cos(v)-cos(u)sin(v))/(cos(u)cos(v)+sin(u)sin(v))`

`=((-7/25)(-4/5)-(-24/25)(-3/5))/((-24/25)(-4/5)+(-7/25)(-3/5))`

`=(28/125-72/125)/(96/125+21/125)`

`=(-44/125)/(117/125)`

`=-44/117`

Who was responsible for the Armenian Genocide and what were their motives?

The government of the Ottoman Empire was responsible for the genocide of the Armenian people. There existed an extensive history of persecution of the Armenians that was escalated by Sultan Abdul Hamid and continued by the Young Turks in the early part of the Twentieth Century.

The primary motive for the Armenian genocide was a religious one. The Ottoman Empire was a Muslim kingdom and viewed the Christian Armenians as 'infidels.' Armenians were not treated equally and had to pay higher taxes. The major motivation for the extermination of the Armenians was this religious difference.

Despite the persecution of Armenians, the minority population did relatively well under the Ottoman emperors. They were better educated and more prosperous than the general population. This led to resentment of this subgroup by the Turkish population. In the late 1800's, Armenian nationalism was a strong force in the Ottoman Empire. This was during a period when the empire was faced with political and economic instability. The resentment that already existed was heightened as Armenians wanted more political and economic rights.

When the Young Turks assumed power in the Ottoman Empire, they envisioned a renewal of the Turkish culture. They viewed the Armenians as a major obstacle to this cultural rebirth. It can be said that the government under the Young Turks escalated the persecution of Armenian Christians to the point of genocide. It is estimated that 1.5 million Armenians perished at the hands of the Ottoman government of the Young Turks.

Summary:
Perpetrators of the Armenian Genocide:

• Government of the Ottoman Empire, especially the Young Turks

Reasons for the Genocide:

• Religious differences


• Resentment due to their prosperity


• Armenian demands for equality


• Political and economic instability


• Desire for cultural and ethnic purity

How did Hoover recover the economy?

Herbert Hoover was unable to improve the economy once the Great Depression began. President Hoover came into office while we were experiencing great economic growth. Everybody expected this to continue, but when the stock market crashed in October 1929, so did the economy. At first, President Hoover did very little to deal with the economy. He believed in a philosophy known as laissez-faire. This means the government tends to stay out of economic issues. Thus, when the economy collapsed, President Hoover took few actions. He believed things would work themselves out. However, when the economy got worse in 1930 and 1931, President Hoover reluctantly took action.

In 1931 and 1932, there were three significant things President Hoover did. In 1931, the National Credit Corporation was created. This program was designed to help banks that were struggling to be able to lend money to their communities. People believed that if there were significant investment in the economy, the economy would grow again. In 1932, the Reconstruction Finance Corporation was created. This program gave over $200 million in loans to banks, railroads, and farming institutions. Finally, in 1932, the Emergency Relief and Construction Act gave billions of dollars for public works programs and millions of dollars in loans.

Unfortunately, the economy had slipped into a severe depression, and these programs were not successful in ending it. The economy was a big factor in President Hoover’s defeat in 1932. When President Roosevelt took office, he launched the New Deal. These New Deal programs heavily involved the government into the economy to work to end the depression. These programs had some success dealing with the depression, but it was really the arrival of World War II that got us out of the Great Depression.

In act 3, Annie says, "Don't smooth anything else out for me, don't interfere in any of the ways I treat her. I treat her like a seeing child...

Annie does expect Helen to see things; that is, she hopes that Helen will finally make the connection between the actual thing and the word spelled into her hand, and thus "see" the thing as having the meaning of the word.

In this passage from Act 3, Annie's angry words are spoken to Captain Keller following Helen's having thrown her napkin down deliberately despite her having learned not to do this from Annie. After Captain Keller retrieves the napkin, fastens it around Helen's neck without her tossing it off, he says, 

There. I't not unnatural, most of us take some aversion to our teachers, and occasionally another hand can smooth things out. 

Just then the rebellious Helen jams her hand into Annie's plate of food; Annie grabs her wrist, there is a struggle, and Helen pours the pitcher-full of water onto Annie. When Keller stands, Annie angrily tells him not to get up and not to "smooth things out" for her because she expects Helen to "see," to understand how to behave, and to imagine that a plate of food is not the place to shove her hand.
Miraculously, Helen finally makes the connection with the water from the pump and the word water spelled repeatedly into her hand. She recalls having tried to say water before she became sick and does, indeed, "see."

Which two animals on the farm disagree over every decision in Animal Farm?

Napoleon and Snowball always disagree.

Old Major is the prophet of Animal Farm.  Before his death, he laid out the goals for the new life that the animals would have.  This involved the animals being self-sufficient and living the good life.  The animals would share ownership of everything, and no one would own anyone else.

After the animals take control of the farm, the pigs rise to domination quickly because they are smarter and considered leaders.  There are two leaders vying for control of the farm: Snowball and Napoleon.  Snowball is a true believer, and Napoleon just wants power.

Snowball was a more vivacious pig than Napoleon, quicker in speech and more inventive, but was not considered to have the same depth of character. (Ch. 2)

Napoleon’s plans are secret and long-term, but Snowball believes in collaboration and idealism.  For example, Napoleon takes the puppies and secretly trains them to be his guard dogs, and Snowball spends his time making elaborate plans for a windmill that all of the animals can enjoy.

Eventually, Snowball and Napoleon cannot coexist. 

These two disagreed at every point where disagreement was possible. If one of them suggested sowing a bigger acreage with barley, the other was certain to demand a bigger acreage of oats …. Each had his own following, and there were some violent debates. (Ch. 5)

When the farm is established enough, Napoleon pushes Snowball out and takes full control.  Snowball becomes a scapegoat for everything wrong that happens on the farm.  Napoleon has full control, and Snowball is nothing more than a tarnished memory.

Napoleon and Snowball represent two different approaches to communist leadership.  Snowball believed in communism for the benefit of the people, and Napoleon believed in using communist beliefs to subject his people to his will.  In the end, Snowball was too idealistic and Napoleon too cunning. 

In Of Mice and Men, describe one aspect that was familiar to you and one aspect that you weren't familiar with.

One aspect of Of Mice and Men that was not familiar to me was the notion of rootlessness.  I come from a close knit family, and I have a strong community of neighbors and friends.  So, my whole life I have been surrounded by people I know and love.  Lennie and George have no one except each other.  Crooks, Candy, and the others have no one.   At one point, Candy says that he is getting old.  He goes on to say that he hopes that there is someone to shoot him when he gets too old. 

One aspect that was familiar was the importance of dreams.  Even though George and Lennie did not reach their dreams of owning a piece of land and a small house, they worked for it.  My family two generations removed immigrated to America and worked diligently to get land and a house.  We were more fortunate than Lennie and George. What we shared in common was a dream. 

What is a gale wind?

A gale is a very strong wind. Wind force is rated according to the Beaufort scale. The Beaufort scale rates wind force on a scale from 0 to 12. Gale force wind is rated an 8 on the Beaufort scale. The speed of a gale force wind is 39-46 miles/hour. At this speed, it is difficult to walk and small branches may be blown off of trees. At sea, waves are moderately high. The Beaufort scale was created in 1805 by Francis Beaufort, an officer in the Royal Navy. Prior to the Beaufort scale, there were no standard ways to classify wind force.

Beaufort Scale of Wind Force

Force           Name

0                 Calm

1                 Light air

2                 Light breeze

3                 Gentle breeze

4                 Moderate breeze

5                 Fresh breeze

6                 Strong breeze

7                 Near gale

8                 Gale

9                 Strong gale

10               Storm

11               Violent storm

12               Hurricane

Explain the victory in Old Sarum almost causing an acquittal during the jury deliberations.

In Chapter 15, the Old Sarum bunch surrounds Atticus while he is reading outside of Tom Robinson's cell. They are a lynch mob who plan to kill Tom Robinson before the trial. Fortunately, Scout unexpectedly runs out into the circle of men and attempts to have a conversation with the familiar Walter Cunningham. She catches Walter's attention, and he is able to see the situation from Atticus' perspective. Walter tells the rest of the Old Sarum bunch it's time to leave, and the mob drives away without harming anybody.

Following Tom's wrongful conviction, Jem loses his innocence and becomes jaded about the community members of Maycomb. In Chapter 23, Jem is discussing the trial with his father. They begin talking about juries and Jem wonders why no righteous people such as Atticus or Maudie ever serves on them. Atticus tells him that Maudie can't serve on a jury because she's a woman, and the other upright community members are too scared that their decision will affect their reputation. Jem comments, "Tom's jury sho' made up its mind in a hurry" (Lee 297). Atticus disagrees and says to Jem and Scout that there was one fellow who "took considerable wearing down" and was arguing for an outright acquittal. Atticus doesn't say the name of the person but tells them that he was part of the Old Sarum bunch. Jem is shocked that one of the Cunninghams was in favor of Tom Robinson, considering the fact they tried to kill him the night before the trial. Jem says, "I'll never understand these folks as long as I live" (Lee 298). Atticus explains that once you earn the Cunninghams' respect, they are for you tooth and nail. He surmises that they earned their respect by not backing down in front of the jailhouse that night.

Even though Tom Robinson was still wrongly convicted of raping Mayella Ewell, there was a moral victory in getting one of the Cunninghams from Old Sarum to argue for his acquittal. Changing the mind of a violent racist illuminates the slow changes taking place in Maycomb in regards to racial injustice.

What are two themes from Julius Caesar?

Julius Caesar is a complex play, with multiple themes running concurrently.  One major theme found throughout the text is the theme of "power and leadership." We see what happens when Caesar's power goes unchecked (he is promptly murdered by his former peers) and we, as an audience, also question who holds the real power in the play.  Cassius does not hold the same leadership position as Caesar, but is still able to ultimately determine Caesar's fate.

Speaking of fate, the role of fate vs. free will would be a second theme worth mentioning in the text.  This text, in particular, is full of omens and premonitions.  Would Caesar have died if he had obeyed the Soothsayer and stayed indoors on the fateful Ides of March?  Again, this theme appears in several incarnations within the text.

Why didn't Desiree go back to Valmonde?

When Desiree confronts Armand about their baby's appearance and asks him what it means, Armand tells her, "It means the baby is not white. It means you are not white." Although the story doesn't say so, Desiree must have written her mother after that and either told her what had happened and/or asked for advice. Desiree's mother sends a note telling her she should come back home to Valmonde, her mother's home. Desiree brings the note to Armand and asks him if he wants her to go, and he says he does. However, Desiree does not pack her things, and when she leaves the house with the baby, she walks off toward the bayou rather than taking the road to Valmonde. The story doesn't say why she made the choice she did. Like many things in the story, the details of her decision are left for the reader to ponder.

Because Desiree had now been categorized as not white, in other words, black, her social standing in her community would have been severely diminished. With the laws in effect in the South at the time, she would have been denied basic rights. Not only that, but all her social connections would be severed. She would no longer be able to fit into white society, and she would not be accepted among blacks either. Even moving into her mother's home would not have given her a life; she and her son would have lived in isolation with no prospects for a happy future. It is very likely that Desiree thought through that scenario and chose to end her life and her baby's life rather than face a life of disgrace and ostracism. The irony, of course, is that she probably was fully white; Armand had African heritage from his mother, although he probably does not realize that until Desiree has killed herself and the baby. 

What are two examples from To Kill a Mockingbird that prove that prejudice is a learned behavior we adopt from our parents and/or role models?

There are several examples throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird that prove that prejudice is a learned behavior that children adopt from their parents and role models. In Chapter 8, Scout encounters Cecil Jacobs in the school-yard, and he says, "My folks said your daddy was a disgrace an' that nigger oughta hang from a water-tank." (Lee 102) Cecil Jacobs makes reference to his parents' thoughts about Atticus. Cecil was told by his parents or overheard them discussing how Atticus was a disgrace to white people for defending a black man. This is evidence that prejudice is learned from parents because Cecil would not have made that comment to Scout, had he not first heard it in his home.

Another example is when Francis Hancock tells Scout, "Grandma says it's bad enough he lets you all run wild, but now he's turned out a nigger-lover we'll never be able to walk the streets of Maycomb agin." (Lee 110) Francis recalled Alexandra's racist comment and used it in a derogatory manner toward Scout. Later on in the novel, Aunt Alexandra tells Scout that she can't play with Walter Cunningham Jr. because "he---is---trash." (Lee 301) Aunt Alexandra conveys her prejudice towards lower class individuals to Scout by calling them trash and encouraging her not to play with them. These examples prove that children learn prejudice from parents and role models.

In The Crucible, why does John Proctor dislike himself?

The main reason John Proctor dislikes himself is because of the affair he had with Abigail.  He feels the shame and embarrassment of a man who knows he has lost his wife’s trust.  During a time when Elizabeth was sick and Abigail was their maid, John and Abigail snuck behind the barn for some “extra-curricular” activities.  Now, Abigail is accusing Elizabeth Proctor of witchcraft in hopes of getting rid of her and claiming John.  John is ashamed of the affair, and now his actions could have dire consequences for Elizabeth and his family.  It takes a while for John to reconcile his responsibility in the matter (he will also be embarrassed if the Salem community finds out about the affair), but he finally does the right thing and confesses to the judges and court about the affair.  Unfortunately, in an attempt to protect her husband, Elizabeth lies to the judges saying that John didn’t have an affair.  Elizabeth’s lie seals his fate.  He is accused of witchcraft and later hanged for his indiscretions and refusal to admit he “trafficked” with the devil.

How did the Manifest Destiny affect expansionism?

Manifest Destiny had a big effect on expansionism both at home and abroad. Manifest Destiny refers to our desire to expand from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.  Once that was accomplished, it took on an international form of expansion. There are several examples of Manifest Destiny at work.

There are several examples of domestic expansion. When Texas got its independence from Mexico, we wanted to annex Texas. While annexation was delayed for nine years because of slavery concerns, there was little doubt Texas would eventually join the United States. We also wanted to add the Oregon Country to our land. While there was some desire to add all of the Oregon Territory, going from what is now the northern border of California to the southern border of Alaska, we reached a compromise with Great Britain that split the territory at the 49th parallel. Thus, we added what is now called the Pacific Northwest to our country. Finally, we had our eyes on what is now the southwest region of the United States. We went to war with Mexico to add this land to our country.

By 1853, we had acquired all the land that currently makes up the lower 48 states. People began to believe we should also expand internationally. Since almost all desirable lands were already colonized, we would most likely have to go to war in order to expand beyond our borders. We ended up fighting Spain in the Spanish-American War in 1898 to accomplish this goal. As a result of this war, we got Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines as United States colonies. We now had taken the idea of Manifest Destiny to an international level.

How does Nick's nature change as he moves from the Midwest to New York? Use quotations from Chapters 1-5 for support.

At the beginning of chapter 1, Nick quotes his father, who told him, "'Whenever you feel like criticizing any one, [...] just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had.'" However, despite the fact that Nick thinks he's "inclined to reserve all judgments," he actually spends the majority of the book passing pretty casual judgment on everyone he meets.  For example, as he leaves Tom and Daisy's house, he "was confused and a little disgusted as [he] drove away," having learned what kind of snobbish and self-centered people they really are.  

The more often he comes in contact with Tom, Daisy, and Jordan Baker, the less he seems to be affected by their complete lack of personal integrity, their racism, Tom's infidelity and willingness to strike a woman, and so on.  When he arrives to New York with Tom and Myrtle, Tom's mistress, they disappear into the bedroom to have sex, leaving him alone on the couch.  He admits, "I have been drunk just twice in my life, and the second time was that afternoon [...]."  Perhaps his need to get drunk hints at his early discomfort with their attitudes and behaviors.  But even then, he says he "was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life."  

As the book continues, Nick seems to become more and more inured to what was, at first, shocking and disgusting to him.  Despite helping Tom to cover up his affair and despite his awareness of Jordan's complete lack of personal or professional integrity and his growing attraction to her, Nick still feels at the end of chapter 3 that he is "one of the few honest people that [he] has ever known."  It seems more likely that this was a quality he possessed before he moved to West Egg.

Despite this perception of himself, he is also willing to help Gatsby to lure Daisy to Nick's house in West Egg so that Gatsby will have an opportunity to reconnect with her.  Once she arrives, he is happy to leave them alone, despite the fact that her presence there surely qualifies as a deception of Tom and leads to many acts of infidelity on her part.  

In short, the fact that Nick becomes and more and more willing to immerse himself in this world where deception and arrogance are de rigueur shows us just how much he's changed.  He's no longer the honest, non-judgmental person he believes himself to be or once was.

How far is each planet including Pluto, from the Sun?

There are a number of planets in our solar system. However, Pluto has recently been demoted (in year 2006) from the list of planets and is no longer a planet. Also note that planets do not go around the Sun in circular orbits and thus their distance from the Sun varies depending on where they are in their orbit. The average distances of each planet from the Sun is listed here:

1) Mercury: 35,983,610 miles

2) Venus: 67,232,360 miles

3) Earth: 92,957,100 miles (this distance is also known as astronomical unit or AU)

4) Mars: 141,635,300 miles

5) Jupiter: 483,632,000 miles

6) Saturn : 888,188,000 miles

7) Uranus: 1,783,950,000 miles

8) Neptune: 2,798,842,000 miles

9) Ceres: 257,000,000 miles

Pluto has an average distance of 3,670,050,000 miles from Sun.

The distance of each planet from the Sun can also be expressed in terms of the Astronomical Unit (AU).

Hope this helps. 

What does Mr. Shimerda want Jim to do for Antonia?

Mr Shimerda wants Jim to teach Antonia to speak English.

The passage is in Book I, Chapter 3:

We went with Mr. Shimerda back to the dugout, where grandmother was waiting for me. Before I got into the wagon, he took a book out of his pocket, opened it, and showed me a page with two alphabets, one English and the other Bohemian. He placed this book in my grandmother’s hands, looked at her en- treatingly, and said with an earnestness which I shall never forget, “Te-e-ach, te-e-ach my Án-tonia!”

Mr Shimerda, who spoke only Bohemian, depended on Peter Krajiek as his interpreter. None of the Shimerdas could speak English -- "They could not speak enough English to ask for advice, or even to make their most pressing wants known" -- so they were completely at Krajiek's mercy. Mr Shimerda's plea for Jim to teach Antonia is both a token of his trust in the Burdens and Jim and Antonia's budding friendship, and a ploy to become independent of Krajiek.

What is the main conflict and theme of "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty"?

In "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," the main conflict is that of the Individual's Desires against Reality; the main theme is A Person's Dreams for Life vs. Society. 

• Conflict - Individual's Desires vs. Society

No matter who talks with Mitty, he seems to be in conflict with her or him because he is subjected to defeat in his encounters. Not only does he have recurring conflicts, the boundaries for Mitty between fantasy and reality are too often porous. Thus, he is pulled from one daydream to another by his ineffective dealings in real-life society.
That Mitty wants to be strong is evinced in his daydreams--"The Old Man ain't afraid of Hell!" the crew shouts in his imagining of himself as a Commander of a Navy hydroplane. In fact, in every daydream, Mitty places himself in roles of command and authority. However, in real life Mitty is irresolute and subservient to his wife, who embodies the authority of society. In fact, Mitty succumbs to the questionable authority of even a parking lot attendant.

• Theme - Dreams for Life vs. Reality 

Judging from the content of his daydreams, it is apparent that Walter Mitty desires to be a strong and self-reliant man; however, it is only in dreams that he can be effective. For this reason, he repeatedly retreats into these dreams. In the end of the narrative, at the hotel, he certainly has found refuge in his daydream as he sits in the winged chair, shielding himself from public view. For, when his wife accosts him, demanding to know why he hides in the old chair, in his effort to assert himself, Mitty replies,

"I was thinking....Does it ever occur to you that I am sometimes thinking?"

With no respect for her husband's feelings, Mrs. Mitty speaks to Walter as though he were a child: "I'm going to take your temperature when I get you home." Then, when she has him wait outside the drugstore while she runs in for something she has forgotten, Mitty stands against the wall, imagining himself as facing a firing squad as even his dreams are defeated.

In Scout's eyes in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, what is Atticus's chief fault?

In Chapter 10 of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, we learn what Scout sees as Atticus's chief fault soon after the children receive the air riffles they had asked for as Christmas gifts. In Scout's own words, "Atticus was feeble; he was nearly fifty."

Scout sees Atticus's age as contributing to his feebleness because, being young herself, she thinks that 50 is very old. In addition, when his children ask him why he is so much older than the parents of other kids their age, he responds that "he got started late," and Scout and Jem see this statement as a reflection "upon his abilities and manliness." Scout and Jem see Atticus's abilities as limited due to his age in several ways.

One example of his limitations concerns Atticus's ability to play with his children. Atticus is able to play keep-away with Jem anytime, but whenever Jem asks him to play tackle football, Atticus declines by saying, "I'm too old for that, son," which disappoints Jem greatly since he loves football so much and other fathers are able to play with their sons.

Other examples of what Scout perceives to be his limitations concern his job and his physique. Scout thinks Atticus has a very boring job as a lawyer. In her eyes, he doesn't do anything exciting like "drive a dump-truck" or work as a "sheriff." Instead, all he does is sit in an office all day long, which could not "possibly arouse the admiration of anyone." His physique further speaks to his feebleness and old age since he wears glasses and is almost blind in one eye.

In short, at the beginning of the story, the Finch children see their father as a dull, boring, feeble, and an old person.

What does the Declaration of Independence say?

The Declaration begins by describing the purpose of government. It argues that all men have basic rights, and that the purpose of government is to protect these rights--"life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." It further says that if governments, which are established by men, fail to uphold these rights, then it is the right of the people to "alter or abolish" those governments. It then proceeds to list a series of grievances against the King, who is made to stand for all of Great Britain. It accuses him of taxing the colonies without their consent, of raising slaves and Native Americans up to fight against the colonists, of dissolving assemblies and failing to approve laws that would be good for the colonists, among many other accusations. Because the king had violated their rights in these ways, the colonies assert that they will, through the delegates chosen to attend the Continental Congress, declare their independence from Britain, and that the Declaration is their formal announcement of this action to the world. So, very briefly, it is an assertion of rights, a statement of the foundations of government, a list of the ways in which the king had violated their rights, and a formal declaration of independence.

If the mass of an object is 1 kg, what is the range of possible accelerations?

The range of possible accelerations of a body is dependent on two things: its mass and applied force. According to Newton's Second Law of Motion, force, mass and acceleration are related as follows:

F = m x a

where, F is the applied force, m is the mass of the object and a is its acceleration. If we know the mass of the object (say 1 kg, as in given case), we need to know the applied force to determine the possible acceleration, as a ratio of applied force and mass of object (a = F/m). For example, say an external force of 10 N is applied on the body, then its acceleration would be 10 m/s^2 (= 10/1). However, if we applied a force of 10 kN, the acceleration would be 10,000 m/s^2.

Thus, without knowing the applied force, we cannot determine the acceleration. And the range of acceleration would depend on applied force. 

Hope this helps. 

How did the ruling in Gibbons v. Ogden extend federal power over the states?

Like many of the decisions of the Marshall Court, Gibbons v. Ogden greatly enhanced the powers of the federal government. In this case, it did so by asserting the exclusive power of the federal government to regulate interstate commerce. The case itself involved the granting of a license by the state of New York that essentially gave Aaron Ogden a monopoly of steamboat ferries between that state and New Jersey. When he used this license to try to force a competitor, Thomas Gibbons, to stop running his ferry line, the case went to court. It eventually made its way to the Supreme Court, where the Court held that the Interstate Commerce clause gave Congress the power to regulate any commerce that passed between states--not just trade. Conceding that the "completely internal commerce" within a state would be under the jurisdiction of that state only, Chief Justice John Marshall wrote in his majority opinion that:

The power of Congress, then, comprehends navigation, within the limits of every State in the Union, so far as that navigation may be in any manner connected with "commerce with foreign nations, or among the several States, or with the Indian tribes."

This, essentially, gave Congress the power to regulate all commerce that could possibly be construed as "interstate." As the national economy became increasingly complex, this term could be used to describe almost any commerce. So the decision greatly expanded the regulatory powers of the Congress. 

What are some of the significant differences between the film and the book?

The main difference between the novel The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold and filmmaker Peter Jackson's adaptation for the screen lies in the portrayal of the world of heaven experienced by the main character, Susie (played by Saoirse Ronan). The character of Susie is dead, having been brutally raped and murdered while still a teenager. The novel's first line is “My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973.” 

Sebold's novel won the prestigious Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel, but the film garnered mostly negative reviews. Despite the book's haunting and rather disturbing story (based in part upon author Sebold's own experience of being raped), the film has a fantastical quality, full of special effects and fantasy sequences, that seems to diminish its seriousness. It is possible that Jackson sought to downplay the brutality of Susie's demise and to emphasize the world of "heaven" she now inhabits; but for many critics and viewers familiar with the novel, this approach does not seem like an effective adaptation.

Jackson, most well known for his award-winning work on the Lord of the Rings trilogy, is a director known for imbuing his works with dazzling special effects. His film Heavenly Creatures, which dramatizes the true story of two teenage girls whose obsessive friendship leads them to commit murder, is full of scenes of fantasy and romance. But this film's fantastical elements reflect the bizarre psychological circumstances of the girls' friendship, and draws upon their actual diary writings to re-create their relationship. In contrast, The Lovely Bones feels wrong-headed due to the brutality of the main character's death, which seems at odds with the strange beauty and pleasant qualities of her "heavenly" existence.

In the 1800's, what was important in the story?

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow was a short story published in a collection called The Sketch-Book in 1819 and 1820 in installments.  Washington Irving brought forth the popularity of the American short story with The Legend of Sleepy Hollow in the 1800s.

The story itself took place in the late 1790s.  There were several important happenings in the story.  One was that Ichabod Crane became infatuated with Katrina Van Tassel.  He visited her often and tried to woo her.  He went to a party at her father's farm, seeking to impress her.  Instead, he heard Brom Bones tell a story of the Headless Horseman who was said to haunt the area.  Ichabod was already superstitious, and he nervously rode his horse home later that night.  Suddenly he came across what appeared to be the Headless Horseman.  He was chased away and never heard from again.

“It was a memory that he must have deliberately pushed out of his consciousness over many years.” (pp. 167-168) What does this quote mean in...

In 1984, this quote appears when Winston is relating to Julia a dream that he had about his mother. In this dream, Winston returns to his childhood and relives the last day he spent with his mother and sister. He stole his sister's chocolate ration and ran out of the house, feeling shamed. When he returned some hours later, his mother and sister had disappeared, never to be seen again. 

Evidently, this memory is a painful one for Winston, hence his repression of it for so many years. But the quote is significant for another reason, too: it brings about an important change in how Winston views himself, the party and the proles. He looks back to a time before the party, when people created their own loyalties and controlled their own feelings and thoughts. We see evidence of this in the following line about his mother: "Her feelings were her own, and could not be altered from outside."

When the party came to power, all of this changed: "Once you were in the grip of the Party, what you felt or did not feel, what you did or refrained from doing, made literally no difference." In other words, the party destroyed the natural feelings and loyalties of ordinary people. This realisation has a profound impact on how Winston views the proles. Previously, he thought of them as lowly people but now he sees them as representatives of this old way of living: "The proles had stayed human. They had not become hardened inside." 

This realisation marks a turning point for Winston. It gives him the impetus to continue his rebellion against the party and to keep fighting against Big Brother. 

Describe Tom's reaction upon seeing the Devil. What does this tell us about his character?

Tom encounters the Devil (who he names as "Old Scratch", an outdated slang term for the Devil) while taking a shortcut through the woods, and resting for a moment near a ruined "Indian fort" - though it is little more than a burial ground at this point. As the reader, the setting of the fort is given a great deal of foreboding Gothic imagery that makes it seem hostile and evil, but Tom doesn't seem to mind. 

At first, Tom is surprised by the appearance of the Devil, but mostly because he hadn't thought anyone else was around, and because the Devil has a distinct appearance unlike any person Tom has met - black skin, red eyes, and so forth - but Tom quickly settles into his typical mannerisms. 

We might assume that any normal person, upon encountering the Devil, might be surprised, shocked, fearful or in awe. Tom, however, behaves as if the Devil were like any other person. This indicates that Tom is probably brave and foolish, and he has not learned to fear evil as others might. 

What significant ghost does Odysseus speak with in the land of the dead?

The most significant figure Odysseus encounters in the underworld (Book 11 of the Odyssey) is Achilles, the central character from Homer's Iliad. Achilles, a demigod, was the greatest Greek warrior. He killed Hector, Troy's most prominent warrior, as revenge for the death of Achilles' friend Patroclus. As was prophesied, Achilles later dies and becomes prince of Hades. Unfortunately, Achilles--cavalier toward death while alive--now wishes he could return to the land of the living. As he tells Odysseus:

“I’d rather be another’s hired hand,……than to rule over all whom death has crushed.”

Another significant ghost Odysseus encounters is that of Agamemnon, the former king of Argos. After winning the Trojan War, Agamemnon had returned home, where his wife--Clytaemnestra--and her lover--Aegisthus--murdered him (The Greek playwright Aeschylus narrates this event in Agamemnon, the first play in the Oresteia trilogy). Due to his fate, Agamemnon cautions Odysseus against placing too much trust in his wife, Penelope, when he finally returns home to Ithaca.

In Alice Munro's story, "Boys and Girls," what is learned from the first paragraph that clearly indicates the direction of the story?

In Munro's story, "Boys and Girls," the first paragraph focuses on the father's work as a fox farmer. The father skins and sells the pelts. They are given calendars of heroes and adventurers to hang in their kitchen. In this paragraph, the action of skinning foxes is emphasized. It is men's work. Thus, the gender roles are quickly set up at the start of the story. As the story progresses, the reader will see that the father works outside--with the foxes and horses--and the mother works inside--cooking and cleaning.

A central conflict in the story is the narrator, a young girl, who wants to be outside with the men and resists her traditional gender role as a female.The first paragraph of the story nicely sets up the contrast of how men and women act. The other thing the first paragraph does is give the symbol of a skinned fox, suggesting an outer layer (the way one looks) with an inner layer (the way one feels), both of which connect to the conflict the narrator is having with regards to her gender. 

What is meant by 'Laws of Nature' 'self-evident truths' and unalienable rights' in paragraphs 1-2 in 'The Declaration of Independence'? Are the...

When Jefferson says that the things you refer to in this question are “self-evident” he means that they are completely obvious.  They do not need to be explained or proven.  This is convenient, because there is no way to prove that there is such a thing as the “laws of nature” or that people have “unalienable rights.”

The idea that there are laws of nature, or natural law, came to Jefferson through thinkers of the Enlightenment.  So did the idea that natural law says that human beings have certain rights by the very fact that they are human.  In the thinking of men like John Locke, it was clear that the laws made by human beings (at that time, this mainly meant laws made by monarchs) were not necessarily just.  Locke and others felt that there was a higher law that superseded laws made by people. 

Locke then went on to set out what these natural laws said.  He argued that the laws of nature said that people had certain rights that belonged to them by nature and not because government gave people those rights.  He believed that the three most important rights were the rights to your life (not to be killed), to your liberty (not to be enslaved or controlled by others), and to your property (not to have your things stolen from you).  Without government, the only way to protect these rights was to be strong enough to force others to respect them. Because people wanted to protect their natural rights, they created governments.  This means that the government did not give them their rights and therefore had no authority to take away their rights.  In other words, the rights are “unalienable,” meaning that they cannot be taken (or given) away.  The “laws of nature” are laws that come from God or from our humanity (depending on your religious beliefs) and not from human beings.  They are unalienable because no Earthly power has the right to take them away from us.

Jefferson had to say that these things are self-evident because there is no way to prove them.  We cannot prove the existence of God (or the gods).  We cannot prove that people inherently have the right to their life, liberty, and property.  We can only assert that this is so.  Since Jefferson could not prove that we have these rights, he had to, in essence, say that it was obvious that we have them.

It is well-known that the authors of the Declaration and the Founders in general were not always consistent about these ideals.  The obvious evidence of this is the fact that they almost all supported the system of slavery, in which they systematically deprived a race of people of their liberty, property, and (at times), lives.

`225^@ = 300^@ - 45^@` Find the exact values of the sine, cosine, and tangent of the angle.

`sin(u-v)=sin(u)cos(v)-cos(u)sin(v)`

`sin(300-45)=sin(300)cos(45)-cos(300)sin(45)`

`sin(300-45)=(-sqrt3/2)(sqrt2/2)-(1/2)(sqrt2/2)=-sqrt2/4(sqrt3+1)`

`cos(u-v)=cos(u)cos(v)+sin(u)sin(v)`

`cos(300-45)=cos(300)cos(45)+sin(300)sin(45)`

`cos(300-45)=(1/2)(sqrt2/2)+(-sqrt3/2)(sqrt2/2)=sqrt2/4(1-sqrt3)`

`tan(u-v)=(tan(u)-tan(v))/(1-tan(u)tan(v))`

`tan(300-45)=(tan(300)-tan(45))/(1-tan(300)tan(45))=(-sqrt3-1)/(1-sqrt3(1))=(-sqrt3-1)/(1-sqrt3)`

The rationalized answer is `sqrt3+2.`

In "Indian Camp," why did the Indian man kill himself?

The only reason given in the text for the Indian man to kill himself in Hemingway's short story "Indian Camp" is because, as the doctor puts it, the man "couldn't stand things." Because of a leg injury he is bedridden while his wife lies below him in labor, ready to have a baby. The labor is troubled and that's why Dr. Adams is there. Hemingway often left important details out of his stories, so the reader is not sure why the doctor has showed up at the Indian shanty without his medical bag. This is important because the woman is in tremendous pain and has been screaming for quite awhile. Several of the men from the camp have retreated out of range of the woman's screams. Unfortunately, the Indian father is apparently not able to join them because of his injury. Adams has no way to stop the screaming because he has no anesthetic and even comments that the screams are unimportant to his work. They do, however, seem to be important to the Indian man as the screams apparently cause him to slit his throat.

Because of Hemingway's theory of omission, critics have not been satisfied with this simple explanation. Hemingway once wrote:

You could omit anything if you knew that you omitted and the omitted part would strengthen the story and make people feel more than they understood.

Two interesting theories as to why the Indian killed himself have arisen in light of Hemingway's confession that he often left the reader ignorant of important details. In a careful reading of the text, some critics have deduced that Uncle George, who appears to be an unimportant character in the story, may have actually been the father of the woman's baby. Knowing this may have caused the Indian man to kill himself just as the son is brought into the world. Two clues hint at this. First, the woman bites Uncle George as he attempts to hold her down. He replies by saying, "Damn squaw bitch." Later, Uncle George is nowhere to be found when Dr. Adams and Nick are about to leave. Some have suggested that he may be off raping another Indian woman at the camp. These small details have created quite an interesting alternate plot which Hemingway never overtly alludes to in the story. This interpretation seems a bit stretched. It begs the question as to why the Indian would have killed himself instead of going after Uncle George and killing him.

Another theory is posited by Jeffrey Meyers in his essay, "Hemingway's Primitivism and 'Indian Camp.'" Meyers argues that Hemingway was a student of Native American culture (Hemingway had several books on the subject) and that the death is a cultural response as the Indian believes he has lost dignity in having an outside entity interfere with the sacredness of the Indian birth. Meyers writes,

The husband cannot bear this defilement of his wife's purity, which is far worse than her screams.

While this theory seems quite plausible, it seems to ignore Hemingway's intent in the story, which is not to dwell on Native American traditions, but rather to tell a simple coming-of-age story in which the young Nick Adams witnesses both life and death in the short trip to the Indian camp with his father.

The Robert Frost poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay" plays a pivotal role in The Outsiders. How is this poem connected to the theme of the story?

Robert Frost's poem, "Nothing Gold Can Stay," connects to the theme of the novel The Outsiders because it conveys the ephemeral lives of certain Greasers and their childhood innocence. The poem's theme depicts the impermanence of nature. Frost describes flowers changing color and their leaves falling as time passes to represent the transience of life. Johnny, one of the main characters throughout the novel, loses his life at a very young age. Johnny was a sympathetic, kind individual who had a bright future. One can say, Johnny was "gold." Similar to how nature was depicted in Frost's poem, Johnny's life last only a short time before he passes away. Johnny's last words to Ponyboy are, "Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold...." Johnny is referencing Frost's poem and is essentially telling Ponyboy to stay young and innocent. Ponyboy watches Johnny pass, and then witnesses Dally lose his life in a vacant lot. These traumatic experiences make Ponyboy callous for a time until he is able to express his emotions via writing. Writing is therapeutic for Ponyboy and helps him symbolically regain his "golden hue."

How was the curse lifted in Holes?

The curse was blamed on Stanley's "no-good-dirty-rotten pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather." It has made it impossible for the Yelnats family to ever truly succeed at anything they try and their lives are rather difficult. Stanley feels the weight of this and when he is falsely accused of stealing a famous ball-player's sneakers, he assumes that it is his burden because of the curse.

The reason the curse is lifted is that Stanley is so selfless in helping Zero. The reason why this lifts the curse is because it is Zero's great-great-grandmother who put the hex on Stanley's great-great-grandfather after he refused to carry her up to the mountain as the price for her advice. So the debt is paid when Stanley carries Zero down from the mountain.