In the story, "The Open Window" was Vera's joke funny and why?

The prank Vera plays on Mr. Nuttel is, if anything, creative and calculated.  Vera appears to be a precocious, young teenager bored with staying at her aunt’s house.   She is a smart girl who has found a way to entertain herself by playing a joke on an unsuspecting stranger. Saki describes Vera as “self-possessed”, indicating that she is self-centered and perhaps doesn’t care about other people’s feelings.  When Mr. Nuttel says he doesn’t know anyone in the area, Vera pounces on the opportunity to fray the nerves of the already jumpy Mr. Nuttel who has come to the country to seek a cure for his anxious behavior and “moping”.

The story that her aunt keeps the window open thinking her dead husband and brothers will return from hunting makes the man uneasy, and when the husband and brothers do return (and aren’t really dead), Mr. Nuttel freaks out and runs away for he thinks they are ghosts.

Vera’s prank is funny if you think it’s okay to fool an emotionally sick man who is about to “go off the deep end” already. Vera is a “mean girl”, but, personally, one I can’t help but like a little for her creativity and spirit.

Why didn't Stanley Yelnats want to move around in his cot?

Stanley Yelnats, the main character in Holes by Louis Sachar, is sent to Camp Green Lake. The "camp" isn't really a camp at all, but a juvenile detention facility. It's not a very pleasant place. In fact, it's the worst, most uncomfortable place Stanley's ever been—right down to the cot he sleeps on.

On his first night at camp, Stanley is very uncomfortable in his cot. He doesn't want to move around in it for several reasons. Let's look at some of the things Stanley thinks about while lying on the cot, all of which come from Chapter 6.

First, Stanley describes his cot as "smelly and scratchy." Would you want to move around on a smelly, scratchy cot? Probably not. You'd probably prefer to stay really still so the cot didn't scratch you. You'd probably want to point your nose toward the ceiling and not move, to keep your nose as far away from the cot as possible so you wouldn't have to smell it quite as much.

There's another sentence that gives a third reason why Stanley doesn't want to keep moving around: "As Stanley tried to turn over in his cot, he was afraid it was going to collapse under all his weight." Stanley is described as heavyset in the book. In this sentence, it becomes clear that Stanley is afraid that moving his weight around might cause the cot to collapse—another unpleasant thing that poor Stanley would really like to avoid.

In Lowry's The Giver, why is Jonas surprised when he goes into the annex for the first time?

The community in Lois Lowry's The Giver is very secure because there is no crime to speak of. They don't have television shows or movies that show criminals breaking and entering; they don't have malice towards anyone else; and they don't witness the breaking of laws in any way. In addition, there is no reason to have locks on family dwellings, schools, or public buildings. This is definitely one of the benefits of living in this colorless, loveless, choiceless community--it's safe. So when Jonas arrives at the annex, the dwelling for The Receiver, he first notices a doorbell. After pushing it, he hears the door unlatch and is greeted by a receptionist. When the receptionist notifies the Receiver, he hears another click and seems confused. The receptionist explains as follows:

"The locks are simply to insure The Receiver's privacy because he needs concentration. . . It would be difficult if citizens wandered in, looking for the Department of Bicycle Repair, or something" (73).

She goes on to inform Jonas that he is perfectly safe and not in danger. Thus, this is the first time that Jonas experiences locks on any doors and this is why he is surprised. The locks certainly introduce Jonas into a more secretive part of the community that has been kept from him as a child. Symbolically, the unlocking of these doors opens a new world of adulthood and difficult choices to Jonas, and he is never the same again. 

`cos u = -4/5, pi/2

By the double angle formulas

`cos(2u)=2cos^2u-1,`

`sin(2u)=2sin(u)cos(u).`

By the first formula `cos(2u)=2*(-4/5)^2-1=7/25.`

Because `u` is in the second quadrant, its sinus is positive and is equal to

`sqrt(1-cos^2u)=3/5.`

So by the second formula `sin(2u)=2*3/5*(-4/5)=-24/25.`

And `tan(u)=sin(u)/cos(u)=-24/7.`

The answer: `sin(2u)=-24/25,` `cos(2u)=7/25,` `tan(2u)=-24/7.`

What was the relationship between American imperialistic desires and the closing of the frontier?

Some historians have argued that the closing of the American frontier, which occurred with the census of 1890, actually promoted imperialism. Historian Frederick Jackson Turner, speaking in 1893, argued that the existence of a frontier, what he called "free land" in the West had always been important in promoting democracy in the United States. This view, while widely discredited by modern historians, expressed a belief among many late nineteenth-century Americans that expansion was essential to maintaining America's economic and cultural growth. With no more frontier left on the North American continent, this interpretation goes, Americans began to look elsewhere, both in the Caribbean and in the Pacific, to satisfy their ambitions. Many imperialists, like Theodore Roosevelt in his famous speech, "The Strenuous Life," were able to cast imperialism as a challenge that his generation of Americans could rise to after the struggle to subjugate the Native Americans in the West (which was not, whatever Jackson Turner says, "free land). Having conquered the West, Roosevelt argued, it was time for American men to rise to "one of the great tasks set modern civilization": to spread American civilization and power overseas. On the other hand, it is important to remember that many Americans had been advocating imperialism in a number of areas--the conquest of the Caribbean and Central America, for instances, as well as gaining control over Hawai'i--for decades before the Census Bureau declared the frontier "closed". So if the closure of the frontier was a factor encouraging imperialism, it was one of many.

What is the legacy of the Tang Dynasty in China?

The Tang Dynasty contributed important ideas to the world that have endured. The notion that government officials should be selected based on ability and educational merit was adopted in China during the Tang dynasty.  The idea of a civil service exam system allowed China to have a firm foundation of government.  The selection of people for the government was based on the principles of Confucianism.  The Tang made tremendous advancements in health and science that led to the understanding of diabetes.  Their experimentation with urine allowed them to realize that diabetes was related to sugar.  The Chinese invented gunpowder during this period as well.  The Tang Dynasty was a period of innovation and creativity.  Wood block printing and clock making were important inventions that enhanced the lives of their citizens. The period was also marked by increased commerce and trade with the civilizations to the west.  The Tang demonstrated that through a skilled bureaucracy, strong military, and interest in science and the arts, a civilization can be prosperous and peaceful.

What is an example of a metaphor in the story ''There Will Come Soft Rains''?

The house is compared to an altar, and the house itself is a metaphor for the dangers of over-relying on technology.

A metaphor is a common type of figurative language where something is referred to as something it is not.  Unlike a simile, a metaphor does not compare something to something else by saying it is like something else.  Metaphors say that something is something else.

This story describes a house that is the last house standing after a seriously devastating event, such as a nuclear holocaust.  The house is fully automated, and continues operating as if there were people inside it long after the people are dead.  Eventually, the house is destroyed in a fire it is unable to put out.

There are many similes in the story, but metaphor is also used to describe the house.

The house was an altar with ten thousand attendants, big, small, servicing, attending, in choirs. But the gods had gone away, and the ritual of the religion continued senselessly, uselessly.

This is a specific metaphor.  In this case, the house is compared to an altar.  An altar is a place of worship.  The metaphor compares that robots in the house to worshippers.  They are personified throughout, as if they were alive.  In this case, they are worshipping the house because it is their purpose.

The house itself is also a metaphor in a larger sense.  It is a metaphor for the destructive nature of technology.  Even though the family is dead, the house continues without them.  It was a more serious technology that destroyed all of the other houses and killed the people, but the idea is the same.  Too much technological advancement is dangerous.

At ten o'clock the house began to die. The wind blew. A failing tree bough crashed through the kitchen window. Cleaning solvent, bottled, shattered over the stove. The room was ablaze in an instant!

Just as the entire rest of the world was destroyed in a nuclear event, the house was destroyed in a fire.  Despite all of its technological advancement, the house could not save itself.  Bradbury is trying to warn us that we should not rely too much on technology.

How does natural selection lead to evolution?

There are limited resources within an environment. There is also variety amongst the individuals within a population. Some varieties are more advantageous within a given environment than others. Therefore, the individuals that possess the characteristics that are less advantageous to the environment will be more likely to perish. Likewise, the individuals that possess the more advantageous variations will be better adapted to their environments. Such individuals will be more likely to obtain the limited resources and survive in that particular environment. As a result, the survivors will have more opportunities to produce offspring. Over time, the genes of the survivors will become more prevalent within the gene pool of the population. As time passes, the results will accumulate and eventually the characteristics of the species change as only some genes are passed on to the next generation year after year. In this way, natural selection leads to evolution.

What is the progress in medicine during the Renaissance period?

The Renaissance began in Europe in the 1400s and this cultural rebirth had many important ramifications on the study of medicine. 

Here are some key developments:

• Pharmacists (also called apothecaries) began inventing new medicines with herbs brought back from the Americas by European explorers.


• In 1628, William Harvey discovered that blood is pumped around the body by the heart.


• Vesalius was the first physician to make anatomically-correct drawings of athe body. This is because he dissected corpses and drew exactly what he found.


• The French surgeon, Ambroise Pare, found an alternative to the painful process of cauterising a wound after surgery. Instead, Pare used a more effective treatment made from turpentine, egg  yolk and rose oil.


• Swiss physician, Paracelsus, wrote the first book on occupational health which was called 'On the Miners' Sickness' and was published in 1567. 


• Girolamo Fracastoro coined the term 'syphilis' and proposed the theory that contagious diseases spread from person to person by tiny 'disease seeds' or spores.

How does the theme of failed father figures shapes the story of Frankenstein. Why might this theme be important to Mary Shelley?

From the very beginning of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, there is a general absence of familial and parental ties. Right at the beginning, Victor isolates himself from his family which allows him to fall into obsession and ultimately leads to creating the monster. After the creation of the monster, Victor's failure to be a father figure drives the entire plot of the novel. Shelley forces the reader to ask whether the story would have been a tragedy if Victor had taken responsibility for his creation--essentially his own child. Victor holds all the responsibility to raise his creation, as he has created in the absence of woman, which is an entirely different problem in the novel. At one point, the creature even says, "My creator viewed me as an abortion," (chapter 24, part 3) which reveals that even the creature itself knows that something is amiss. Yet, even though the creature recognizes that something is wrong with his paternal relationship to Victor, he cannot seem to right it himself and instead falls into violence. Perhaps, Shelley suggests, if Victor had taken his paternal responsibility seriously in regards to his creation, the lives of his loved ones would have been spared. 

As to the second part of your question, dealing with Shelley's concern over correct fatherhood, it stems partly from the enlightenment idea of Tabula Rasa. When we are born, according to this view, we are blank slates which society and our families write upon. The influences our families have on us create what we will be ultimately. When Victor steps out of his creation's life, he is allowing the world to shape it entirely, and the world the creature encounters reacts to his hideous appearance with violence--thereby teaching him to live by violence. Additionally, Mary Shelley had only her father, William Godwin, since her mother died when she was less than a year old. Her father, however, responded by sending his children away to live with someone else--effectively abdicating his fatherly duties. Ultimately, he did provide Mary with an education which would not have normally been available to women in that day. As far as personal teaching, though, he was largely absent. Her novel explores a father-child relationship gone wrong and shows the way the world can corrupt the Tabula Rasa of the child in an absence of a father figure. 

What are the significant historical events of 1880 to 1925 that form the contextual setting of The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle? Among the...

The Sign Of Four was written against the backdrop of the Sepoy Rebellion or Indian Mutiny of 1857.

By the 1850s, the East Indian Company ruled India on Britain's behalf. In this system, the Sepoys were incredibly fierce and loyal soldiers hired by the English to maintain order at trading posts and reservations. Despite their loyalty, these proud Sepoys were driven to anger and despair at the daily abuses perpetrated upon the Indian people by their English occupiers. As an example, when a local leader died without an heir to continue his rule, the British swooped in to annex the region, without consultation with the local populace. The Sepoys were also incensed by what they saw as an encroaching Christian influence in their country. They felt deeply violated by acts of supreme inconsideration on the part of the British in installing Christian missions and schools in India.

Despite these abuses, the Sepoys didn't mutiny until a rumor took hold upon an unsuspecting public. Accordingly, the British had resorted to using pig and cow grease in the cartridges of rifles that were largely used by the Sepoys. If true, this was considered an outrage. The mutiny started on March 29, 1857, when Mangal Pandey, a Sepoy soldier, refused to use the new rifles. In defiance, he shot an English lieutenant and sergeant-major. This incident fueled many more atrocities before the situation was brought under control by the English. Both sides resorted to brutal violence to achieve victory; yet, not every atrocity on the Indian side was committed by the Sepoys alone. During the Cawnpore massacre (this is mentioned in Jonathan Small's story in Chapter 12), many Sepoys refused to participate in the killing of more than 200 English women, children, and infants. As a result, butchers were brought in by local leaders to cut down the defenseless women and children.

So, why is this background important? In the story, we are given glimpses of the prevailing British opinion about Indians. The imperialist attitude (that Indians were savages who needed to be civilized) can be seen in Holmes' descriptions of various footprints belonging to that of the darker races:

"A savage!" I exclaimed. "Perhaps one of those Indians who were the associates of Jonathan Small."

"Hardly that,"... the remarkable character of the footmarks caused me to reconsider my views. Some of the inhabitants of the Indian Peninsula are small men, but none could have left such marks as that. The Hindoo proper has long and thin feet. The sandal-wearing Mohammedan has the great toe well separated from the others, because the thong is commonly passed between. These little darts, too, could only be shot in one way. They are from a blow-pipe. Now, then, where are we to find our savage?"

And, here again, we see Holmes educating Watson on the savagery of the aborigines of the Andaman Islands. He also tells Watson that some of the smallest races of men may invariably be other darker-skinned peoples such as the Bushmen of Africa, the Digger Indians of America, and the Terra del Fuegians:

'They are naturally hideous, having large, misshapen heads, small, fierce eyes, and distorted features. Their feet and hands, however, are remarkably small. So intractable and fierce are they that all the efforts of the British official have failed to win them over in any degree. They have always been a terror to shipwrecked crews, braining the survivors with their stone-headed clubs, or shooting them with their poisoned arrows. These massacres are invariably concluded by a cannibal feast.'

In the story, Jonathan Small tells of the Sepoy Mutiny in Chapter 12; he describes India being over-run by 'two hundred thousand black devils let loose,' and he also admits his part in making a pact with two Sepoys (Mahomet Singh and Abdullah Khan) and a third, Dost Akbar, in order to save his life during the Mutiny.

The rest of the story is continued in the chapter, of course; however, we can see that this historical background reinforces the English mentality of Indians as inferior savages, and of India as a corrupting influence upon the British psyche. It is no coincidence that every chief player in the Agra treasure incident has been consumed by suspicion and greed.

Another anecdote owing to historical origins in the story would be the infamous 'cocaine discussion' in Chapter 1. In the 19th century, England became a successful global trafficker of opium. From India, opium was trafficked to China. Interestingly, cocaine in 19th Century England was widely used as a mental stimulant. You can read Holmes' rationale of his use of cocaine to Watson in Chapter 1:

I find it, however, so transcendently stimulating and clarifying to the mind that its secondary action is a matter of small moment.

For more, please read about Victorian Drug Use.

I hope that what I have written proves useful for your project. Good luck!

What is Ponyboy's initial attitude toward Dally in The Outsiders?

Towards the beginning of the novel, Ponyboy views Dally with contempt, fear, and respect. He states that Dally is the toughest, meanest, coldest person he's ever met. In Chapter 1, Ponyboy explains Dally's background and arrest record. He likes to draw Dally when he's in a dangerous mood, and states that Dally is bitter towards the world. Pony says, "I didn't like him, but he was smart and you had to respect him." (Hinton 11) Another scene throughout the novel where Ponyboy expresses contempt for Dally is in Chapter 5 when Dally comes to visit the boys at the abandoned church. Pony comments, "I never thought I'd live to see the day when I would be so glad to see Dally Winston." (Hinton 80) Ponyboy knows that Dally is a dangerous person with a quick temper and is often quiet around him. In Chapter 2, Dally forces the boys to sneak into the movies and Pony goes along with it. Later on in the chapter when Dally is messing with Cherry, Johnny steps in and tells Dally to leave her alone. Pony makes the comment that if he were to talk back to Dally, he would have been "flattened." Ponyboy's hesitation to speak his mind and possibly upset Dally depicts the fear Pony feels when he's around him. Despite not liking Dally, Ponyboy shows admiration and respect for his abilities. Pony comments, "Dallas Winston could do anything." (Hinton 58) 

How does the narrator's point of view help make Roger the protagonist of this story?

The short story "Thank You, Ma'am" by Langston Hughes is told from an omniscient third person perspective. In other words, Hughes tells us the story in a way in which we can gain the thoughts and feelings of both Mrs. Bates and Roger. We traditionally think of protagonists as the main characters in the story, which leaves us with a bit of a problem - exactly who is the main character in this story? While omniscient third person offers readers insight to both of the main characters, the way in which Hughes develops the point of view makes Roger our protagonist. 

Third person points-of-view allow readers to focus on the action, thus, allowing them to form their own opinion of the meaning of the work. If the story was told from a first person point-of-view, we would have ended up with a subjective piece of work: Roger would tell us about the unfortunate night where he got caught stealing but learned a lesson or Mrs. Bates would tell us about the unfortunate night where someone tried to steal her purse but she taught him a lesson. Being subjective means that we wouldn't be able to know what Roger's thoughts were when he was at her house at critical moments - for example, when he was deciding to do as he was told or run for the door. By telling it from a third person perspective, readers are able to look at each piece of action, evaluate it, and make something of it. 

A protagonist is never without flaws - that character tends to change and develop throughout the text. In "Thank You, Ma'am," we see Roger as the character that changes or develops by the end of the text because of the actions of Mrs. Bates. 

Why do you think nonvascular plants cannot grow very large or tall?

Nonvascular plants are those that do not have any xylem or phloem. That is to say, they do not have any vascular system. The vascular system is responsible for the transport of nutrients and water to various parts of the plant. Thus, the vascular system can be thought of as the nutrient transport system of a plant. In the absence of such a system, the plant can only absorb water and nutrients from its immediate surroundings without the ability to disperse the fluids throughout the plant. The movement of water in such plants occurs through the process of diffusion. This process is slow and thus would be unable to supply water to all the different parts of a tall or large plant. Thus, nonvascular plants are generally smaller and shorter, as compared to vascular plants (that utilize the xylem and phloem for water and nutrient uptake and transport).

Hope this helps. 

In "The Rocking-Horse Winner," what idea fills the people in Paul's house with anxiety?

In this short story, the mother, Hester's, perception that there's not enough money fills the house with anxiety. Paul, her sensitive young son, constantly feels the pressure of his cold-hearted mother's discontent. To him, the very walls of the house seem to be saying more, more, we need more money. That his mother's discontent is irrational becomes apparent when Paul, with the help of his Uncle Oscar and a servant, wins 5,000 pounds betting on horses. The money, a large amount in that time period, simply isn't enough for the insatiable Hester. Instead of finding contentment, she immediately spends the winnings and wants more. Paul, too young to recognize that no amount will ever satisfy his mother, works harder and harder to please her, riding his rocking horse with greater and greater fury so he can discern which horse will win the next race. In the end, Paul's response to the anxiety in the household costs him his life. 

What is the conflict in "Revelation" by Flannery O'Connor?

Revelation by Flannery O'Connor features both a major and a minor social conflict.

The minor social conflict concerns the main character, Mrs. Turpin, and the "white trash woman" over whom she passes judgement. Mrs. Turpin considers herself of a higher social ranking than the uneducated white-trash woman, and when the latter dares to interject and interrupt a conversation Mrs. Turpin is having with a third party, Mrs. Turpin views it as a gross social violation.

The major conflict of the story is again between Mrs. Turpin and a young woman in the waiting room. The conflict is largely developed by a series of facial expression between the two, including a look the girl gives her which she describes as the "ugliest face she has ever seen anyone make." The conflict between the two characters is ultimately realized as a physical confrontation, with the young woman striking her with a book. Mrs. Turpin, who believes herself to be a good and moral person of high standing, cannot understand why she should be the victim of this attack, and the conflict is then internalized as she becomes unable to reconcile her self-perception with the actions of others towards her.

In the book, Animal Farm, by George Orwell, what broke up the meeting?

The 'meeting' you refer to is the one called by Old Major, Mr Jones' prize white boar, at the beginning of the novel. He had had a strange dream the previous night and wanted to convey its message to all the animals, so decided to call a meeting as soon as Mr Jones was out of the way. It was to be held in the big barn. All the animals respected Old Major and were keen to hear what he had to say and quite willing to lose an hour's sleep to do so.

Before Old Major spoke about his dream, he wished to impart an important message which was quite clear: the animals were forcibly subjugated by Man's tyranny and were but slaves, manipulated and exploited because of Man's greed. Man was the animals' greatest enemy and they had to get rid of him to gain freedom and equality.

Old Major urged the animals to rebel against Man and once they were successful in this, to adopt seven maxims by which they were to live. This was to ensure that they did not adopt Man's corrupt habits and lived in prosperity and peace. Life without Man would be a nirvana for the animals.

Major then came to his dream and told them about a song which it reminded him of. It was a tune which had been taught as a child, which had become lost in memory, but was revived in the dream. The title was, 'Beasts of England' and it should become an anthem for their future rebellion and after. The song conveyed the idealistic state the animals would live in once Man was gone.

Once the lyrics had been grasped, the animals burst out into song in unison, each loudly singing the anthem in its own way. The commotion, however, woke Mr Jones who thought that there might be a fox in the yard.

He seized the gun which always stood in a corner of his bedroom, and let fly a charge of number 6 shot into the darkness. The pellets buried themselves in the wall of the barn and the meeting broke up hurriedly. Everyone fled to his own sleeping-place. The birds jumped on to their perches, the animals settled down in the straw, and the whole farm was asleep in a moment.

The meeting was therefore disturbed and broken up by Mr Jones firing his gun and, since the animals feared him, they all fled to their respective sleeping places and once they were settled down, quickly fell asleep. It was as if the meeting had never happened.

How many witnesses did Atticus call for the defense of Tom Robinson?

While the prosecution calls three witnesses -- sheriff Heck Tate, "victim" Mayella Ewell, and her father, Robert E. Lee "Bob" Ewell, Atticus calls only one witness in defense of Tom Robinson.  That witness is Tom Robinson himself.  

After being sworn in, Tom testifies that he had walked by the Ewell property on several prior occasions and had previously helped Mayella with chores upon her request.  On the day in question, Tom testified, Mayella asked him to come inside to fix a door (and, later, to get something off of the top of her dresser).  According to Tom's testimony, when he reached for the item, Mayella grabbed at his legs and, when he turned around, kissed him.  Her father saw the kiss through an open window and called his daughter a "whore," threatening to kill her.  This testimony is drastically different from the rape allegations presented by both Mayella and her father.

Likely, Atticus did not feel that he needed multiple witnesses, as his cross-examinations of the prosecution's witnesses led credibility to Tom's story.  Mayella's account of a brutal attack, for example, is made less likely when Tom reveals that his left hand is useless, having been caught in a cotton gin years before.  Likewise, the fact that Bob sought no doctor for his daughter after her alleged rape detracts from his story.  While the verdict does not match the presentation, Tom's testimony shines as honest and forthright in contrast to the Ewells.

In "A Modest Proposal," what social advantages will Squires (i.e., landlords) have from this new policy?

In “A Modest Proposal,” Jonathan Swift proposes, in a satirical way, a solution for the starvation of the poor in his native country, Ireland.  Swift says that a perfect solution to this problem would be to use children of about one year old to contribute as a food source.  In other words, the population should begin “eating babies.”  This shocking suggestion is, of course, his way of making the people in both his country and in England see that starvation is rampant and something should be done about it.  He proposes many advantages to his idea, such as “lessening the number of papists among us” (para. 10), and the fact that so many new and tasty dishes will be invented.  The landlords, or Squires, would also gain a few advantages.  First, landlords would be willing to pay good money for a fat infant carcass from their tenants, making them good landlords and therefore popular with the people.  Also, the tenants will now have something valuable for their landlord to seize from them; therefore making sure the rent to the landlord is paid.  In Swift’s proposal,  everyone gains.  It is his satirical way of saying that the country is in such desperate circumstances that someone must take notice.

What would be the research design and the sampling method for evaluating prevention and education support services for newly diagnosed women with...

Given the already formed research question of your study which analyzes the impact of a given treatment or therapy (prevention and education support services) on patients with a given condition (recently diagnosed HIV), a randomized, controlled study design would best fit your research. In a randomized, controlled study, which is by the way, the standard design for this type of research, you would randomly place the participants in two groups. Both groups would of course receive the standard HIV medical treatments. However, one group would receive prevention and education support services and the other would receive just the standard medical treatment. The impact of the education on the quality of life of the group receiving the services would be compared to the quality of life of the group that did not to determine the education services impact.

A simple random sampling method works best in this situation where there is one group (the HIV positive women) and one needs to create a subgroup. Drawing names or using a computer program to randomly select the subgroup, dividing the group into two, are two common methods of creating a sampling. Once divided, one group receives the treatment, prevention and education support services, while the other does not. Overtime, the impact of the prevention and education support service is qualitatively described and evaluated to determine its impact.

Why did Montresor invite Fortunato into the catacombs?

At the beginning of the story, Montresor claims that he has suffered a "thousand injuries" at the hand of Fortunato. He never goes into any detail about these alleged injuries, but they are significant enough to arouse extreme anger in Montresor. It was an insult that was the last straw for Montresor. This prompted Montresor to begin planning his revenge. He was determined to "not only punish, but punish with impunity." Montresor is a proud, calculating, and vengeful man. 

Montresor adds that he has given Fortunato no reason to suspect he (Montresor) is up to anything. From Fortunato's point of view, he and Montresor are still friends and nothing has changed. This is part of Montresor's strategy. The other part of his strategy is to use Fortunato's pride against him. Montresor knows Fortunato takes great pride in his knowledge of wines. So, Montresor comes up with a plan of claiming to be unsure about the authenticity of a cask of amontillado. He says that he will ask Luchesi, knowing that Fortunato will call Luchesi a hack and demand that he, Fortunato, should be the one to test the amontillado himself. Thus, Montresor lures Fortunato into the catacombs to find the amontillado and, unbeknownst to Fortunato, also to lure him to his death. 

Please critically explain what Helena means in Act III, Scene 2, Lines 131-133 in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

"Weigh oath with oath, and you will nothing weigh.

Your vows to her and me, put in two scales,

Will even weigh, and both as light as tales" (III.ii.131-133).

The above passage is spoken by Helena after Lysander wakes up with the fairy elixir on his eyes and he is pledging his love to her. Helena is confused that Hermia's boyfriend would all of a sudden be declaring his love for her. In response, she explains to Lysander how she feels about his oaths with a quick extended metaphor. First she says that if she takes the oath of love he has declared for Hermia, and metaphorically weigh it on a scale next to the one he now gives her, then neither will be worth anything. Each oath in her eyes does not bear any truth, (or weight) because he has lost his value for giving oaths. Another way to look at it is once he betrayed his oath to Hermia by making one for her, Lysander's promises canceled out themselves.

Then, after declaring Lysander's oaths void and worth nothing, Helena says that both are "light as tales". The word "tales" might be an allusion to quick, fictional short stories that people make up to entertain others, or may also refer to fibs told in a moment of desperation or confusion. Shakespeare would have been aware of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales which are stories made up by a diverse group of people to entertain each other on their pilgrimage. Many of the tales are fabricated in order to glorify the storyteller. At any rate, Helena isn't buying what Lysander is selling.

In "The Minister's Black Veil," what does Mr.Hooper mean when he says "There is an hour to come when all of us shall cast aside our veils" ?

In the story, Mr. Hooper's fiance begs him to take off his veil. She states that the veil hides the face that she is always glad to look upon. However, no matter how much she protests at his strange behavior, Mr. Hooper refuses to put aside his veil. To make matters worse, he answers her cryptically:

"There is an hour to come," said he, "when all of us shall cast aside our veils. Take it not amiss, beloved friend, if I wear this piece of crape till then."

What he means here is that there will be time enough to reveal one's secrets when everyone stands before God in judgment. Here, he is referring to the Christian doctrine of the hour of judgment, when every motive and action will be made plain. Until then, he admits that he is forever obliged to wear the veil without the right to fully disclose the reason why. When his fiance begs him to stop being so mysterious in his speech, he tells her:

"Elizabeth, I will," said he, "so far as my vow may suffer me. Know, then, this veil is a type and a symbol, and I am bound to wear it ever, both in light and darkness, in solitude and before the gaze of multitudes, and as with strangers, so with my familiar friends. No mortal eye will see it withdrawn. This dismal shade must separate me from the world: even you, Elizabeth, can never come behind it!"

Here, we see that Mr. Hooper has somehow made a sort of vow to wear the veil. Apparently, this vow also constrains him from divulging the secrets of his strange habit. It is a sad state of affairs, because we soon come to realize that the vow causes Mr. Hooper extreme loneliness and leads him to fear for his future; despite his suffering, however, he is still obligated to wear it. He is a man trapped beyond his ability to extricate himself from the mental agony of his actions.

"...O! you know not how lonely I am, and how frightened, to be alone behind my black veil. Do not leave me in this miserable obscurity forever!"

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?

Throughout the drama of Hamlet, Prince Hamlet contemplates death in the fear of the unknown; however, in Act V, Hamlet's thoughts take a very serious turn as he realizes what an equalizer death is. This turn of thought prompts maturity and action.

In the early acts, Hamlet is obsessed with the meaning of life and the question of death. He wonders what happens after death, and his anxiety about the afterlife prevents him from acting on the ghost's appeal and from committing suicide to end his dilemmas--"To be or not to be." This preoccupation precipitates Hamlet's meditations on the uncertainty and absurdity of life, as well as his hesitation in killing Claudius lest he become a martyr as he prays, and thereby earn heaven.

But, in Act V as Hamlet beholds the skulls, particularly that of Yorick, this experience of realizing that Death is the great equalizer finally removes Hamlet from his youth. For, after this experience, Hamlet abandons his "antic disposition," and he himself envisions a new man emerging as he declares, "This is I/ Hamlet the Dane" (5.1.226-227). Further, he warns Laertes, "Yet have I in me something dangerous (5.1.232). As renowned Shakespearean critic Harold Bloom writes, Hamlet is "beyond maturity at the close."

Indeed, in Act V, Hamlet has finally looked into the existential condition of man, and has gained the knowledge that he needs to finally act upon what he has deliberated for the previous four acts. Moreover, his famous "To be" soliloquy is the existential foundation for much of what he utter in Act V. Bloom calls it Hamlet's "death speech in advance, the prolepsis of his transcendence."

Additional Source:

Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human. New York: Riverhead, 1998. Print.

In the play Antigone, which characters have hamartia and hubris?

In Antigone, Creon has hamartia and exhibits hubris.  Creon is a new king in Thebes, so he is a bit insecure regarding his position among the people.  As a result, Creon gets wrapped up in proving to the people of Thebes that he is worthy of his position.  So even if he thinks that Antigone should be pardoned, he maintains that he cannot appear weak in front of the people of Thebes, and thus he maintains his position.  Eventually, his own son Haemon comes to appeal to him and tells Creon that the popular opinion is that Antigone be set free; however, Creon will not be swayed.  He is so proud of his decision to maintain his ruling even in the face of doubt, and this decision lands him in the realm of having hubris--too much pride that blinds his better judgment.  Creon's hubris is his hamartia--the quality which leads to his ultimate downfall in the play.

How are social mobility and class rigidity portrayed in Persuasion by Jane Austen?

The central conflict of the novel has to do with Anne Elliott's decision to reject the marriage proposal of Captain Wentworth, despite being in love with him. She is persuaded to do so because marrying a man in military service might not allow her to achieve a higher social class (hence the title, but "persuasion" also refers to Anne's attempts to get the Captain to realize she still has strong feelings for him). 

Anne is a sensible young woman who does not particularly care about social mobility, and as she grows more mature she realizes allowing herself to be talked out of marrying the man she loved for reasons of social propriety was a huge mistake. She is kind-hearted and values peoples' integrity over their wealth or position. One excellent example of this is when Anne's father (a foolish man who is obsessed with social class) gets very angry at her over her refusal to break an engagement with an old friend (Mrs. Smith) to meet with a wealthy socialite (Lady Dalrymple) with whom Anne has no relationship, but whom her father idolizes. Mrs. Smith was once wealthy but has been left poor due to unlucky circumstances, and Anne still values her friendship and shows her kindness. She stands her ground and insists to her father that she will not disappoint her old friend in order to placate her father's rather shallow emotions.

What did Franklin Roosevelt tell Americans to remember?

Franklin Roosevelt told Americans to always remember December 7, 1941. In his speech to the nation, he referred to December 7, 1941, as a “date that will live infamy.” He then proceeded to outline the timing of events that happened that day.

President Roosevelt told the American people how events unfolded that day. He stated that the Japanese attacked at Pearl Harbor an hour before the Japanese representatives replied to an American message. He indicated that the Japanese reply didn’t include any mention of going to war against the United States.

He told the American people how the attack caused widespread damage and death in Hawaii. He went on to explain the other places that Japan attacked that day. He said we were now in a state of war against Japan. He indicated that we would defend ourselves and make sure something like this never happens again.

President Roosevelt wanted Americans to remember this day and the reasons for the resulting war that followed.

What gave the U.S. economic entry into Japan?

The United States wanted to trade with Japan. However, Japan had a closed-door policy and did virtually no trading with other countries from 1639-1853. The United States decided to force the issue in 1853.

Commodore Matthew Perry went to Japan with our navy. He indicated to the Japanese that the United States wanted to trade with Japan. The display of American military power reluctantly convinced the Japanese to begin to trade with us.

There were many benefits for us to begin trading with Japan. Japan could serve as a port for our ships. As we also began to trade with China, the location of Japanese ports was an important factor affecting our shipping on the Pacific Ocean. Our ships could resupply and refuel in the Japanese ports. It was a long trip from China to the west coast of the United States.

The opening of Japanese ports in 1853 had economic benefits for the United States.

What does the phrase "a host of phantom listeners" imply in "The Listeners"?

That line is probably both my favorite and least favorite line from this poem  I love the line because it provides readers with so many possibilities of what exactly it means. I don't like the line because deep down I just want to be told an author's specific meaning.  

The dictionary lists a few different definitions for the word "phantom." One is that a phantom is a ghost. It's an actual spirit of a dead person. The other definition is that a phantom is a figment of the imagination.  

In relation to this poem, that means the phantom listeners are likely the ghostly spirits of the house's former inhabitants, but the phantoms could be merely figments of the visitor's imagination. With no explanation as to why the man is there or why the house is empty, readers are left to ponder the possibility of both options. Thinking that the phantom listeners are ghosts definitely makes the poem creepier, while thinking they are merely imaginary projections makes the poem more realistic.

My other frustration with the line comes from the word "host." It could refer to the fact that the listeners are actual hosts. Somebody that has a party at their house is called the host. "A host of phantom listeners" might mean ghosts are hosting the man as a visitor. On the other hand, "a host" might reference a number. "A host" of something means a large number. The line from the poem could mean there are a lot of ghosts in the house. Overall, the line is open to a lot of interpretation. That's why it's easy to get a lot of discussion from my students about this poem.

What were the two choices Wegener saw concerning climate zones of the past?

Alfred Wegener was a German meteorologist who was the founding father of the theory of continental drift.  As far as climate was concerned, Wegener found glacial deposits, the remains of drifts of debris compiled by glacial action in tropical areas of the earth, where it was much too warm for glaciers to exist.  Likewise, he found the remains of tropical plants and animals that were located in areas much too cold to foster such life forms.  Wegener correctly postulated the continents must have been in different climatic environments at one time.  Then, they drifted, largely by the rotational spin of the earth to their present locations in totally different climates.  Wegener's idea of continental drift had a hard time gaining acceptance among the scientific community, as he had a weak mechanism explaining what could cause large land masses, such as the continents, to drift across large bodies of oceanic water to totally different climatic conditions.

Why is the 25th Amendment important to US citizens?

The 25th Amendment to the Constitution is not important to us American citizens on a daily basis in the way that amendments like the 1st or 4th Amendment are.  However, it is potentially important to us because it helps to preserve our democratic form of government.

The 25th Amendment has to do with making sure that we do not have times when we have no president or when it is unclear who is holding the power of the presidency.  It would be bad if either of these things happened because it would undermine the stability of our system.  The 25th Amendment helps to prevent this from happening.  Section 1 specifies that the vice president becomes the president when a president is removed from office, dies, or resigns.  The original Constitution did not clearly specify whether the vice president was to become the president or just the acting president.  Section 2 requires that a new vice president be selected if the current vice president leaves office for any reason.  This is important because it ensures that there is always a vice president.  If there were not, the death, removal, or resignation of a president would cause much more chaos in our system.  Section 3 allows the president to declare that he (or someday she) is unfit to carry out his or her duties.  This allows the president to officially and temporarily hand over power to the vice president if, for example, he is medically incapacitated.

In all of these ways, this amendment is important to the stability of our political system.  It is important to us Americans because it helps make sure that our system will remain stable and that we will not have times when we are unsure who should have the power of the presidency.

What do people in town generally think of Miss Strangeworth in "The Possibility of Evil"?

People in town generally think of Miss Strangeworth as a respected citizen. This is due to the reputation of Miss Strangeworth's family. At the beginning of the story, we learn that her grandfather built the first house on Pleasant Street. Her garden, tended by both her grandmother and mother before her, is famous for the trademark roses which have become a tourist attraction. People acknowledge Miss Strangeworth's presence and greet her when they see her. Even the young people in town address her respectfully.

Also, because of her age and respected position in her town's history, many people look to her for advice. In the story, we see Helen Crane asking Miss Strangeworth for advice about her baby. When Helen confesses her worries about her baby's developmental growth, Miss Strangeworth reassures her, arguing that all babies develop at their own pace. In short, the town generally thinks well of Miss Strangeworth, unaware that she is the culprit behind the troubling and judgmental letters many people have been receiving.

However, towards the end of the story, Shirley Jackson hints that Miss Strangeworth's anonymity may soon come to an end. When Miss Strangeworth receives what appears to be one of her own letters back, her shock is genuine when she reads of a threat to her roses. The tables have been turned, and Miss Strangeworth is horrified to fall victim to the same malice she has inflicted on others.

The point of view changes throughout the story. From what point of view is the story told the most?

Although the omniscient narrator relates the story with the focus upon Sylvia for most of the story, there are a few moments when the perspective shifts to Mrs. Tilley and the hunter.

Sarah Orne Jewett's "A White Heron" is told for mostly from the point of view of the omniscient narrator. This narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of old Mrs. Tilley, Sylvia, and the ornithologist. When there is a shift to Mrs. Tilley, the reader gains more insight into her granddaughter:

"'Afraid of folks,' they said! I guess she won't be troubled no great 'em up to the old place!" 

Here Mrs. Tilley provides an insight into the character of Sylvia. In another passage, she enhances this understanding of Sylvia's character as she provides more history on Sylvia with the mention of Sylvie's great talent for understanding nature's creatures and of the "hint of family sorrows."

When the point of view switches to the young man, the reader perceives Sylvia and her grandmother through his perspective, a point of view that enlightens the reader about this hunter and his self-serving attitudes:

...the shy little girl looked once or twice yesterday [as though] she had at least seen the white heron, and now she must really be made to tell. Here she comes now, paler than ever, and her worn old frock is torn and tattered....

His noting of her poverty convinces him that Sylvia will inform him where the heron is so that she can receive the money he has offered.

Despite some shifts in perspective, the narration of Jewett's story is told in a manner that is most sympathetic toward Sylvia, a sympathy that endears her to the reader, even when she considers helping the hunter.

How could a student write a thesis about slavery in Uncle Tom's Cabin?

With most thesis statements, the intended purpose is to help your reader determine what you will be saying during the rest of your paper. For many papers, teachers advise that you have about three points to help make your paper strong (although this does not always have to be the case). After stating your thesis, it often helpful in the next paragraph to include a background paragraph that provides the audience with vital information and relates to your topic and thesis.

With the background information, you will want to make the background specific enough so that the reader knows that it relates to Uncle Tom’s Cabin; however, it should also be general enough so that the reader understands the information without having to know too much about the book. It can be difficult to balance this, but it is a vital section to a strong paper.

In order to make it relate to the topic, you need to consider the audience’s knowledge and your topic. For example, this might include concepts about the time period that Uncle Tom’s Cabin was written or might include background information about the author, Harriet Beecher Stowe. It simply depends on what information is crucial to understanding your topic the best.

Furthermore, to help you decide what information to include in the background, you should consider your thesis statement. For example, if you talk about the slavery in Uncle Tom’s Cabin, it might be beneficial to provide a social context about how slaves were treated during the time or how the U.S. government viewed slaves. With this, it could be helpful to include important cases during the time period, such as Dred Scott v. Sanford or the Fugitive Slave Law.

As a result, you will end up with statements that support your thesis and provide background information on your topic!

How do Esperanza's vivid similes set the tone throughout the novel? Consider "the nose of that yellow Cadillac was all pleated like an...

The way Cisneros uses similes in The House on Mango Street helps to create concrete imagery that solidifies the image in the reader's brain. For example, in "Louie, His Cousin & His Other Cousin," the simile "The nose of that yellow Cadillac was all pleated like an alligator's" (25) gives a solid mental picture of the front of that car crunched up and looking like an alligator. This visual image is so vivid, unlikely that a reader would misunderstand what the car looks like after it crashes into a wall or a building as it tried to escape a cop. 

Another simile found in "Laughter" also help to create concrete imagery for sound. For instance, Esperanza says that the way she laughs with her sister is "all of a sudden and surprised like a pile of dishes breaking" (17). Immediately, the reader can mentally picture and hear dishes falling in the kitchen and smashing on the floor. When a simile relates to something that most humans have experienced, they will work for the benefit of the story and for the reader at the same time.

In contrast, Esperanza says that Rachel and Lucy's family laugh like "shy ice cream bells' giggle." The structure of the sentence in the book does not use the words like or as when mentioning "bells' giggle," so one could say that part is a metaphor. To be more specific, it could also be personification because inanimate objects like bells can't giggle. But the imagery is still there as one might mentally picture a couple of cute, little bells ringing to represent Rachel and Lucy's laughter.

The result of similes such as these, and found throughout the novel, add an intelligent, sensitive, and credible tone. As a result, Esperanza comes off as insightful and smart and the reader gets an authentic, empathetic feeling for the people and events in the story.

What is a fable?

The dictionary defines a fable as a short story intended to teach some kind of moral lesson. For example, the folk tale "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" is a fable warning people against the dangers of lying. Informally, the term "fable" may be used to refer to any short story or fabrication. Someone suspected of lying might be accused of coming up with a fable.

Fable is also the title of a video game series first introduced in 2004. This open-world fantasy role-playing game sends players on quests surrounding a central plot. Although the game does not focus on any one moral lesson, the decisions players make in the game do have consequences. In fact, the decisions a player makes influence whether they are perceived as a good or evil person in the game.

What are the metaphors in Tennyson's poem "The Eagle"?

Alfred, Lord Tennyson is considered one the finest English Romantic poets. As with William Wordsworth, his contemporary and predecessor as Poet Laureate of England, Tennyson wrote many poems glorifying nature. His poem, "The Eagle" is about the majestic bird perching high on a mountain cliff in the first stanza and then diving powerfully toward the sea to hunt for prey in the second stanza. The eagle is admired as beautiful and mighty.

Technically speaking there are no metaphors in the poem, but there are comparisons using personification and simile. Personification is when a non-human object or an animal is given human qualities. In the first stanza the eagle is personified as Tennyson says, "He clasps the crag with crooked hands." and "Ring'd with the azure world he stands." Of course, he doesn't have hands, he has talons, and he doesn't stand, he perches.

In the second stanza, Tennyson uses a simile, much like a metaphor except it uses the word like or as in the comparison. Tennyson compares the eagle to a thunderbolt as he swoops down from the cliff. The association is meant to show the swiftness and awe-inspiring quality of the bird. 

Why did the relationship between the US and the Soviet Union become tense?

The relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union became tense for several reasons. At the end of World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union had made several agreements. Within weeks of signing those agreements, it appeared the Soviet Union wasn’t following them. For example, the Declaration of Liberated Europe said that countries would be free to choose the kind of government they wanted. Yet the King of Romania said he was pressured to have a communist government in Romania. Additionally, the new government in Poland had very few pre-war members in the new government. We had an agreement there would be free elections in Poland, and there would be members of the pre-war government in it.

After World War II, the Soviet Union wanted to spread its system of communism. The United States wanted to keep communism from spreading. Thus, we opposed the Soviet Union when they tried to force us of West Berlin. We flew supplies over the Berlin Blockade. We opposed the Soviet-supported North Korea when North Korea invaded South Korea in June 1950. We developed an arsenal of nuclear weapons when the Soviets got the ability to create their own nuclear weapons.

The United States opposed the Soviet Union in many ways at the end of and immediately after World War II. This led to increased tensions between these countries.

In The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, how do Hassan and Baba display courage by facing their fears?

Hassan and Baba are both courageous individuals throughout the novel The Kite Runner. Hassan displays his courage by standing up to Assef and threating to shoot his eye out when Assef attempts to harm him and Amir. Hassan also faces his fears by refusing to give Assef the kite at the end of the tournament. Despite knowing that he will be harmed, Hassan stands his ground against Assef. Baba also faces his fears and displays courage throughout the novel. Baba is known for wrestling a bear and is viewed as a tough man. On their way out of Afghanistan, Baba stands up to a Russian soldier who attempts to rape an Afghan woman. Baba knows that the soldier could easily shoot him, but refuses to back down. Baba also faces his fear of becoming a failure when he moves to America. Despite losing his position of prominance that he held in Afghanistan, Baba displays courage by accepting a job at a gas station and working at a flea market on the weekends. His refusal to let his pride stand in his way depicts his courage. He also refuses to accept chemotherapy when he is diagnosed with cancer. Baba faces his fear and accepts the fact that he will die.

In Lord of the Flies, discuss the significance of the setting. How does the island help to convey the novel's theme?

The setting of the novel, Lord of the Flies, is significant because it allows the boys to be removed from the constraints of civilization. The boys were not displaced from their society and its rules and expectations and placed into a different society with its own rules and expectations; they were removed from their society and placed in a setting with no rules or expectations. One of the major themes in the novel is that human nature is created by the society in which it is nurtured. By the boys being placed in a setting that is devoid of human influence-- an uninhabited tropical island-- their true nature is able to emerge. The question that the reader must grapple with as a result of the setting is whether or not we are "good" or "bad" because that is who we are inherently, or because that is the self that society's influence has created.

what is the background to the witches giving Macbeth the prophecy

The witches (commonly referred to as the Weird Sisters) prophesy that Macbeth will be king of Scotland in the first few scenes of the play. The play itself begins at the end of a battle in which Macbeth has led the forces of Scotland to victory over Macdonwald on a gloomy plain (or "blasted heath," as it's often called).

Although the reader is given little information about who these Weird Sisters are and where they've come from, their presence in the play is absolutely essential, and so their origins and purpose are worth thinking about. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the term "Weird Sisters" was first used by Scottish writers to refer to the Fates, the group of women responsible for deciding the destinies of mortals in Greek and Roman mythology. This context is important, as the Weird Sisters essentially act as the Fates in a Scottish, medieval setting. Their prophesy determines not only the fate of Macbeth and his wife, but also the fate of the kingdom of Scotland. And what a gruesome fate it is.  

It's also worth considering the overall purpose of the Sisters in the play. Overall, they function as the primary supernatural presence in Shakespeare's dark reimagining of Scotland, and they immediately signify that the fabric separating reality from the spirit world (or sanity from insanity, if you prefer to think of it in those terms) will be very thin indeed. Additionally, they lend the play an eerie, often downright creepy tone that perfectly sets up Macbeth's tragic downfall. All in all, it's possible to read the Sisters as a personification of fate and destiny, but there are few other clues to their exact origins. This mystery of course only tempts readers to ask further questions about them. 

Is there evidence out there that possibly shows that Matthew and Luke were written first and then Mark followed them? What are some examples?

"Evidence" is a strong term to apply to the Gospels; Biblical scholarship relies on the written books and on tradition, and both literacy and good record-keeping were in short supply in the First Century AD. For this reason, it's believed that the four Gospels were transmitted orally by scholars for 30-70 years before they were actually written down.

Mark, a disciple of St. Paul and someone who never actually met Jesus, is believed to have written the first Gospel. It's generally dated to around 65 AD.

Luke is another Gospel writer who is believed to have been a disciple of Paul, not Jesus directly.  His Gospel, as well as Acts of the Apostles, are generally attributed to the same person, whether it was Luke or not. 65-70 AD is the accepted guess.

Matthew, who did know Christ, has a Gospel attributed to him, but it borrows heavily from Mark, which casts serious doubt on its authorship. Biblical scholars date this to 65 - 70 AD , maybe as late as 100 - 134 AD. It’s commonly attributed to a tax collector named Levi.

The Gospel of John was written around 100 AD, but is said to have been approved by him in its oral form. It is so different in tone from the other three that it is not regarded as a “Synoptic” Gospel. Many different Saints John have been conflated into the author of the Gospel according to John.

According to biblical scholar E.P. Sanders, it’s clear that St. Paul never read the Gospels and was apparently unaware of them. Likewise, the Gospel’s authors, including the two whom Paul taught directly, never read his Letters, which implies that they were written after his association with them. But however they were written, Mark and Luke are believed to be the first two, with Matthew a close third.

How the theme of failed father figures shapes the story of Frankenstein. Why might this theme be important to Mary Shelley?

Mary Shelley was the daughter of two famous radicals. Her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, a writer and early pioneer for women's rights, died when Mary was quite young. Her father, William Godwin, was a famous writer and political philosopher. He was called "Jacobin" and "Guillotinist" for his hostility to the aristocracy and his approval of the French Revolution, at least initially. (The modern equivalent of these taunts would be "Communist" or "jihadist.") When Mary took up with Percy Bysshe Shelley, her father disapproved; Shelley was already married (His wife would later commit suicide, enabling Mary and Percy to wed in 1816) and he was a dreaded aristocrat. For all Godwin's disapproval of Shelley, he did not hesitate to ask him for money. In 1822, Percy died in a boating accident and Mary had to raise their son alone. The Courtney Love of her day, she was often accused of being an unfit mother.

Her father and husband made fatherhood a lower priority than their writing and politics. In the first edition of Frankenstein in 1818, she made Victor Frankenstein's father seem rather indulgent, but by the third edition in 1831, he was presented as feckless and distant. She portrayed Victor as someone who wrote passionate love letters to Elizabeth, but who spent all but a few days of his adult life avoiding her, in his lab and on his coaching tours. Victor's sole stab at fatherhood was to create a monster, without a woman's participation, whom he would spend the rest of his life trying to destroy.

Mary Shelley was a product of both the Gothic and Romantic movements, which (as stylistic elements) portrayed love as destructive and relationships as toxic. Her contentious relationships with her father and husband certainly contributed to this mix, but did not define it entirely.

What did the Americans achieve after the revolution?

After the Revolutionary War ended, the Americans accomplished many things. One thing they accomplished was setting up a new plan of government. The first plan of government was the Articles of Confederation. While there were weaknesses with this plan, it did get us through the early days of our independence and the period of time after the war ended. It was eventually replaced by a new plan, the Constitution, which has been our plan of government for over 200 years.

We developed a way to deal with the western lands after the Revolution. The Land Ordinance of 1785 divided western lands into townships. These townships were subdivided into squares, and much of that land could be sold. It was a good way for the government to raise money and to organize the land in the West.

We also developed a plan that became a model for how territories could become states. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 established the process that was used for territories to follow in order to become a state. Five states were created from the Northwest Territory. Other areas that became territories followed the process of becoming a state that was established by this law.

We started to deal with other countries after the Revolutionary War. We let those countries know they wouldn’t be able to push us around. We negotiated treaties with Spain and Great Britain that prevented us from going to war. These treaties resolved some of the trade issues that existed. They also got the Spanish and British to do stop encouraging the Native Americans to attack us. Great Britain also agreed to leave the forts in the West.

We also began to develop our financial system. A debt plan was passed to help us pay our debts. A national bank was created to help the government, the businesses, and the people handle financial issues.

There were many things that needed to be done after the Revolutionary War ended up to 1800. With two plans of government and with good leaders much was accomplished during this time period.

How does the quote"Lennie, for God's sakes don't drink so much" related to the Great Depression?

This is an interesting question.  George and Lennie's interaction in this scene does offer insights about the Great Depression in two ways. 

First, the men are poor.  They have little to eat and little to drink.  Many people during the Great Depression lost their jobs and so they could not take care of themselves well. We can see this clearly in this scene.  George and Lennie had to drink from a stagnant body of water, even if the water might make them sick.  George actually mentions that Lennie got sick the day before. 

Second, George and Lennie are migrant workers, who have left one place of employment, and they are sojourning to another.  They know nothing of settling down.  They are in this predicament, because during the depression, jobs were scarce, and men had to go wherever they could find work. 

What are some things that make prokaryotes and eukaryotes different? What are examples of prokaryotes and eukaryotes?

Prokaryotes and eukaryotes separate life on Earth into two main divisions. The main difference between prokaryotes and eukaryotes that most textbooks emphasize is that prokaryotes lack a nucleus, while eukaryotes have a nucleus that encloses their DNA. When the terms are broken down, we see that karyote refers to a 'kernel' or 'nut' because when scientists first saw a nucleus in a cell they thought it looked like a small kernel. 'Pro' means 'before' so you can remember that prokaryotes do not have a nucleus because they were around before a nucleus had developed. This is true when looking at evolutionary history as well. 'Eu' means 'true' so remember that eukaryotes have a true nucleus. Also, YOU (as a human) are a EUkaryote, and your cells indeed have nuclei (except a few, mainly red blood cells). 

Some other differences include that the DNA in prokaryotes is circular, while DNA in eukaryotes is linear. As a result of this, DNA replication occurs differently as well. In prokaryotes, DNA replication begins in one spot (one origin of replication), while in eukaryotes it begins in multiple spots (multiple origins of replication).

Another difference is that prokaryotes have no membrane-bound organelles, while eukaryotes have many different membrane-bound organelles including the golgi apparatus, endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, chloroplasts (for plants), and lysosomes. They both have ribosomes because they both need to make proteins, but the ribosomes in eukaryotes are larger than those in prokaryotes. The overall size of the cells are very different as well. Eukaryotes are much larger than prokaryotes.

Prokaryotes divide by binary fission, while eukaryotes divide by mitosis, a more complex process. Also, eukaryotes have the ability to use meiosis to create gametes with genetic variation, while the only way the prokaryotes can introduce genetic variation is to swap DNA with another prokaryote through the process of conjugation.

There are more complex differences, but these are the main differences between prokaryotes and eukaryotes that most students would be expected to know. I hope this helps!

"The Open Window" uses the "Anonymous narration (single character point of view)" narrative technique throughout most of the story. Which character...

The story is told almost entirely through Framton Nuttel's viewpoint. The only departure comes at the very end when he is described from the anonymous narrator's own point of view, as follows:

Framton grabbed wildly at his stick and hat; the hall door, the gravel drive, and the front gate were dimly noted stages in his headlong retreat. A cyclist coming along the road had to run into the hedge to avoid imminent collision.

There is also a sort of "coda" in which both Mr. and Mrs. Sappleton discuss Framton and his sudden flight. Vera tells about how Framton was attacked by a pack of pariah dogs in India, but this is not her point of view; it is from the point of view of her aunt and uncle to whom she is telling the fantastic story. The purpose of this interchange among the three characters is solely to establish that Mr. Sappleton is not a ghost but an ordinary country squire, which proves that the story Vera told to Framton about the three hunters being sucked into a bog several years ago is a complete fabrication. We should realize that as soon as Mr. Sappleton asks:

"Who was that who bolted out as we came up?"

The rest of the story is told through Framton's point of view. For instance, when he first meets Vera he sees her as a very self-possessed young lady, but there is no indication of how she perceives him. Then the narrator goes right into Framton's mind and tells how he is feeling and what he is thinking.

Framton Nuttel endeavoured to say the correct something which should duly flatter the niece of the moment without unduly discounting the aunt that was to come. Privately he doubted more than ever whether these formal visits on a succession of total strangers would do much towards helping the nerve cure which he was supposed to be undergoing.

Although Vera does most of the talking before her aunt arrives, and although her aunt does much of the talking after that, the reader understands that they are talking to Framton and are being observed and heard from his point of view. In the big finale when the hunters appear outside headed for the open window, the narrator specifically declares that they are being seen by Framton and that he is having an emotional reaction to their approach.

The child was staring out through the open window with a dazed horror in her eyes. In a chill shock of nameless fear Framton swung round in his seat and looked in the same direction.

     In the deepening twilight three figures were walking across the lawn towards the window, they all carried guns under their arms, and one of them was additionally burdened with a white coat hung over his shoulders. A tired brown spaniel kept close at their heels. Noiselessly they neared the house, and then a hoarse young voice chanted out of the dusk: "I said, Bertie, why do you bound?"

Vera is putting on an act for Framton's benefit--but it is Framton's perception of Vera that is described. This is appropriate because the reader does not suspect as yet that the whole thing is a hoax. The author's intention is not only to fool Framton Nuttel but to fool the reader. This would be impossible if there was ever any indication that part of the story was being told through Vera's point of view--although it would be very interesting to see inside her mind and understand what that point of view actually was. She does not know anything about Framton's nervous disorder. He would not discuss that with a young girl. He does not bring it up until he meets the aunt. In fact, Framton hardly says anything to Vera, and she is forced to do most of the talking.

"Do you know many of the people round here?" asked the niece, when she judged that they had had sufficient silent communion.

Although Vera asks a lot of questions to find out how much Framton knows about the people in the region, and although her long story about the three dead hunters takes up the remainder of her private time with Framton, the whole interview is seen and heard via Framton's point of view. The only deviation comes at the end of the story when Framton has fled from the scene and his point of view is thereby eliminated.

In what ways was the economy of the New South different from, and similar to, the economy of the past?

After the Civil War ended and Reconstruction began, there were many changes in the South. One of those changes dealt with the economy of the South. Before the Civil War, the South had very little industry. Because of the mild climate and fertile soil, the vast majority of southerners were farmers. They grew various products including tobacco, wheat, rice, and cotton. By 1860, cotton became the main exported product of the southern farmers.

After the Civil War ended, things changed in the South. Many people still were farmers, but there was a definite growth in the number of industries in the South. Southerners realized they need an economy that was based on options than just mainly on farming. The growth of industries helped the South’s economy diversify as time passed. Additionally, as industries grew, more railroads were built in the South. Northerners began to invest in the South. This also helped industries grow. Gradually the "New South" was becoming less dependent on farming as more industries were being developed throughout the region.