In To Kill a Mockingbird, what was the role of fear in the novel?

In To Kill a Mockingbird, fear is a central theme especially in the way Harper Lee shows race relations in the town of Maycomb.  The white society of Maycomb are holding onto old values of superiority and privilege that they are afraid will be undermined by members of the black community.  Because whites have been in power for so long, they are anxious to keep it that way.  The discriminatory practices and blatant racism seen throughout the novel show the fear embedded in their psyches.  Whites in Maycomb do not want to give up the privileges afforded them simply because they are white.  For example, despite Bob Ewell’s status as the lowest example of “white trash”, he and his daughter, Mayella, are still awarded privilege in the courtroom when the jury decides to believe a white man and woman over a black man’s testimony.  There was never a question in the mind of Atticus or the jury if the decision would go for or against Tom Robinson.  Racism and privilege dictated the verdict.

Blacks in the community of Maycomb are also fearful of the racism that exists.  It affects their daily lives where they live, where they work, and how they are treated.  The attempts of the lynch mob to hang Tom Robinson are an example of the unjust treatment blacks received.  Tom Robinson’s “escape attempt” shows the fear he has to go to prison and leave his family unable to survive without him.   During this Jim Crow era of the South, blacks were not given many rights, and they understood that if they didn’t adapt to the social codes of the whites, they would be in grave danger.

Fear is a major theme because of the dynamics of race relations in Maycomb during this time.

What reasons did Senator Borah provide as to why the United States should refuse to join the League of Nations?

Senator Borah earned the nickname “the Great Opposer” because he was against many ideas. One of the things he opposed was the ratification of the Treaty of Versailles that would have had the United States join the League of Nations. Senator Borah was concerned that joining the League of Nations would be similar to joining an alliance. There was a provision in the charter of the League of Nations that would have required member nations to commit to actions recommended by the League of Nations. Senator Borah believed this would have impacted American foreign policy negatively. It could require the United States to take an action that wasn’t in our best interests or to take an action about something that had no effect or interest to us. Senator Borah felt it was better for the United States to deal with our own issues instead of getting involved in situations that had little or no effect on us. Thus, Senator Borah opposed the Versailles Treaty and the United States joining the League of Nations.

How does Benedick's soliloquy show what kind of person he is in Much Ado About Nothing?

Benedick makes a very sexist speech, but he is not really as bad as he seems. He is just in love.

Benedick is in love with Beatrice (and she with him), but neither will admit it. He likes to play tough, making comments about how marriage is terrible and not for him.

That a woman conceived me, I thank her; that she
brought me up, I likewise give her most humble
thanks: but that I will have a recheat winded in my
forehead, or hang my bugle in an invisible baldrick,
all women shall pardon me. (Act 1, Scene 1)

Benedick sees Claudio, in love with Hero. He wants to disparage Claudio and the whole enterprise of pairing up. After all, according to Benedick, being in love just makes a man grumpy and all lovers are fools.

I do much wonder that one man, seeing how much
another man is a fool when he dedicates his
behaviors to love, will, after he hath laughed at
such shallow follies in others, become the argument
of his own scorn by failing in love: and such a man
is Claudio. (Act 2, Scene 3)

Benedick swears that he will not be a fool, and makes a silly list of the traits of his ideal woman. She needs to be rich, wise, and virtuous. She also has to be a conversationalist and play a musical instrument. He creates a perfect, unattainable woman.

It is easy to dismiss Benedick as a pig. However, his words are just a cover how he really feels. Benedick is not exactly a playboy. He has been hurt. He was in love with Beatrice before, but she, like him, has sworn off of love. Both of them are playing tough to cover for the fact that they are really interested in each other.

However, when Benedick is tricked into revealing his true feelings, it is different. Benedick thinks that Beatrice loves him, and he begins to express his real view of love. He may play a shallow playboy, but in reality Benedick wants the same things we all want. He wants someone to be with.

Trace the route taken by air in the vertebrate respiratory system, listing the structures through which it flows and the points at which gas...

Air passes through the structures of the vertebrate respiratory system in the following order:

Mouth or Nostrils → Nasopharynx/ Oral Pharynx → Glottis → Trachea → (Lungs: Right and Left Bronchi → Bronchioles → Alveoli)

Gas exchange occurs between the alveolar sacs and the small blood vessels that are located on the alveolar sacs. It is here that oxygen is delivered from the lungs to the bloodstream. The oxygen attaches to the hemoglobin that is found within red blood cells. The red blood cells then transport the oxygen to cells. The oxygen is used by the mitochondria of the vertebrate eukaryotic cells in the process that is known as cellular respiration. During cellular respiration, oxygen gas and the sugar glucose are converted into water, carbon dioxide gas, and an energy source called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The blood that circulates within the bloodstream then picks up the carbon dioxide that is produced during cellular respiration. The blood transports the carbon dioxide delivered back to the alveoli of the respiratory system in order to be eliminated from the body.

Structural tissues, enzymes and hormones are made of ___?

The structural tissues of the body, along with enzymes and hormones are composed of a type of macromolecule known as a protein.

Macromolecules are formed when small organic sub-units join to form larger molecules and in the case of proteins, those smaller molecules are called amino acids. The amino acids are referred to as monomers and when many monomers join together chemically, they form a protein which is a polymer. To link two amino acids together, a covalent bond called a peptide bond forms between the amino group of one amino acid and the carboxyl group of the next amino acid in the polypeptide chain. Eventually, this polypeptide will fold into a functional three-dimensional shape and will become a protein.

Proteins make up approximately half of the mass of cells, excluding water. They are components of cell membranes, provide structural support, help facilitate chemical reactions in their role as enzymes, help with cellular communication, provide movement as is seen in the action of muscle cells and they help with the immune response. 

There are thousands of different proteins in the body which have unique three dimensional shapes. There are twenty amino acids which are arranged differently to form various proteins, according to the genetic code.

There are numerous proteins in the body, with diverse structures that carry out many different functions necessary for survival.

I have included a link which shows how two amino acids form a peptide bond.

What are some examples of animal imagery in connection with Lennie in Of Mice and Men by Steinbeck?

Right from the start of the novella, Steinbeck likens Lennie to a large animal.

He walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws. His arms did not swing at his sides, but hung loosely.

The comparison is not meant to be derogatory, but actually descriptive of Lennie's primitive and unpolished nature, which exists within all of us as humans. Lennie, however, lives with the mismatched combination of a large body, disproportionate strength, and very low intellect. Hence, he lacks the typical behaviors and defense mechanisms that are used by other people to control themselves in certain situations.

Consequences are also foreign to Lennie. Like an animal, he just reacts on the spot without thinking much. For example, when he felt thirsty on his way to the ranch, rather than looking for a safe source of water, he went to the first puddle he found.

He flung himself down and drank from the surface of the green pool; drank with long gulps, snorting into the water like a horse.

In all, Lennie is no different than a wild creature that can only manage to survive by learning the basics of life. He is still a potential victim of his own instincts which, like those of a animal, command his actions more than common sense.

Does Romeo truly love Juliet and why?

In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, the love affair between the two teenagers is not meant to signify a story of true love, but a story of silly family rivalry that has driven a well-matched couple into such desperate straights that they kill themselves. So, no, Romeo did not truly love Juliet, but simply loved the idea of a beautiful woman he might marry.

The first time we see Romeo is when he is pining over the loss of Rosaline to "Dian's wit." While many English teachers seem to suspect this has something to do with Rosaline choosing a life of service to the church, there is no evidence of this. Instead, it seems as if Rosaline rejected Romeo's sexual advances and he says that this is due to some vow of chastity she made.

With Shakespeare's early indirect characterization of Romeo in mind, the next real glimpse at him is at the Capulet's party when he sees Juliet. While Romeo has no idea who she is, his view of her from afar causes him to pine after this girl who has "Beauty too rich for use, for part too dear." And then he stands and watches her. In his very first conversation with her, Romeo does not attempt to know her as a person and, thus, fall in love. Instead he asks her, "My  lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss."

This infatuation Romeo has with Juliet is aided by two adults—Friar Laurence and Juliet's nurse—who encourage the marriage between the two children. The friar specifically states that this marriage could "turn your households' rancour to pure love." 

It is worth noting that Romeo's passion for Juliet, including his suicide, indicate some level of love. However, this is love that is not based off actual knowledge of Juliet, but love that is based off teenage sexual desire and Friar Laurence's  manipulation of him for his own political purposes. 

What are the advantages and disadvantages of space tourism?

An advantage of space tourism is the jobs that the industry is going to provide.  There are already multiple companies all competing for space tourism business.  Those are all companies and jobs that didn't exist a decade ago.  Pilots are needed, programmers are needed, manufacturing jobs are needed, and many many other people will be working in order to see that those companies are successful.  

Another advantage of space tourism is going to be its ability to renew interest in space and space exploration.  With renewed interest, financial backing will follow, and that will support further innovation in the industry and space exploration in general.  

One disadvantage to space tourism is currently that it is a rich man's game.  The start up costs are prohibitively high for starting up this kind of company.  Not only is it an expensive business to run, but it is also an expensive ticket to buy for the consumer.  Right now, Virgin Galactic's ticket cost for a single seat is $250,000, and the entire flight lasts only two and a half hours.  The entire flight.  You are weightless for less than 10 minutes.  

Another current disadvantage is that the industry is in its infancy.  There isn't much regulation happening, and the business hasn't been around long enough to have its safety protocols dialed in.  It's a very dangerous industry currently, and Virgin Galactic proved that when their test platform, Space Ship 2, crashed and killed the pilot. 

`cot(u + v)` Find the exact value of the trigonometric expression given that sin(u) = 5/13 and cos(v) = -3/5 (both u and v are in quadrant II.)

Given `sin(u)=5/13 , cos(v)=-3/5`

using pythagorean identity,

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

`(5/13)^2+cos^2(u)=1`

`cos^2(u)=1-25/169=(169-25)/169=144/169`

`cos(u)=sqrt(144/169)`

`cos(u)=+-12/13`

since u is in quadrant II,

`:.cos(u)=-12/13`

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

`sin^2(v)+(-3/5)^2=1`

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

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

`sin(v)=sqrt(16/25)`

`sin(v)=+-4/5`

since v is in quadrant II,

`:.sin(v)=4/5`

Now let's evaluate cot(u+v),

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

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

`=((-12/13)(-3/5)-(5/13)(4/5))/((5/13)(-3/5)+(-12/13)(4/5))`

`=(36/65-20/65)/(-15/65-48/65)`

`=-16/63`

In Lyddie, how do family ties – or the lack of them – influence the characters' opinions about the efforts to improve working conditions,...

The girls whose families depend on them are less likely to sign the petition.

The petition for the ten-hour workday is dangerous for the factory workers.  Anyone who signs it is dismissed from her job and then blacklisted from the factory system so that she can never get another one. However, as working conditions worsen, the girls who do not have family members relying on them sign the petition and quit.

Lyddie in particular is afraid to sign the petition.  She focuses on her family and her efforts to make money so that she can bring the family back together.  Lyddie needs the factory job, and can’t jeopardize her family even at the expense of the workers.

When the other girls ask Lyddie to go to a meeting for the ten-hour petition, she refuses.

"No!" Lyddie was startled herself that she had spoken so sharply. Both girls looked at her. "I mean, please, don't sign. I can't. I got to have the money. I got to pay the debts before‐" (Ch. 12)

The other girls have varying levels of commitment to others.  Betsy, for example, is putting her brother through college.  As long as he is in college, she can’t quit either.

"The golden lad finishes Harvard this spring. His fees are paid up, and I've got nearly the money I need now. My Latin is done. So as soon as I complete my botany course, I'll be ready to leave this insane asylum." (Ch. 13)

Lyddie’s only desire is to get her family back together, but Betsy’s feelings for her brother are not as affectionate as Lyddie’s.  Lyddie realizes that as the factory speeds up, more and more girls leave. The ones that leave are the ones who do not have families depending on the money they bring in.

Diana leaves when she finds out that she is having a baby.  She had been at the factory for about fifteen years and served as a mother-figure and teacher to the girls.  In a way, Diana left her "family" at the factory to have a family of her own.

Where can I find information on ways to reduce homelessness?

Homelessness is often defined as those who have no fixed, adequate and regular nighttime residence or those whose night residence is a shelter. Some studies have shown that most of the homeless in America, up to 80%, are temporarily homeless due to a temporary circumstance. Some others cycle in and out of homelessness frequently and still others, often the chronically ill, mentally ill or elderly, spend the majority of their time in homeless shelters. Various local, state and national programs are in place to assist the homeless but often result in programs that focus on the side effects of homelessness such as getting people temporarily out of public view rather than on helping them to create a new life. Churches and other social agencies work to help people living  under the poverty level without suitable employment to locate ways to find work and homes. Many recognize that poverty today is a result of a lack of affordable housing coupled with a lack of entry level jobs that provide enough income for a family to afford housing. To improve homelessness, programs need to focus on the cause of the problem and not on ways to simply address the side affects such as people living in public spaces such as under bridges and overpasses. Homeless individuals need adequate income from jobs and affordable housing in order to succeed in overcoming homelessness. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers many programs and grants directed toward helping people overcome homelessness.

Is the ‘hydraulic metaphor’ of torrents, floods, and waves of immigration true in the case of Gilded Age migrations?

The Gilded Age, a coin termed by Mark Twain, was from approximately 1875 to 1900, although various sources do not always agree on that precise range.  There was an incredible surge in immigration over those years, which can be seen in the graph I have provided a link for below. These were, in fact, the peak years for immigration to America.

This worked out well for America and for immigrants in many ways, although there was then, as now, prejudice against various ethnic and national groups.  The United States was expanding rapidly, into territories and then states, with a coast-to-coast railroad having been completed, and the country firmly planted in the industrial age.  There was a great need for manpower, and womanpower, too, I'm sure.  While the streets of America were hardly paved with gold, they represented a much better opportunity for most immigrants than they had in the lands they came from.  We had at least a theoretically classless society, and people who worked hard, saved their money, and educated their children had a good chance of leading better lives than they had, along with a reasonable hope that their children would do even better.  The Statue of Liberty, which was meant to represent these opportunities, was dedicated in 1886, in the middle of this surge in immigration.

The hydraulic metaphor certainly holds up, a veritable flood of immigrants coming here to help build and expand this country, as much of a flood as Europe is experiencing right now.  This torrent worked out very well for the United States, and it is a shame to see how immigration here is now being characterized as some sort of evil force. 

What are the pilot's characteristics in Tom Godwin's short story "The Cold Equations"?

In the short story "The Cold Equations," the pilot Barton develops as the story progresses. Since that's the case, author Tom Godwin first depicts Barton as possessing the characteristics of emotional distance and the ability to rationalize, but Marilyn's presence soon brings out his empathetic nature.

Barton's emotional distance and ability to rationalize are portrayed in his reaction towards death at the beginning of the story. He is so accustomed to thinking rationally that he no longer feels emotional at the sight of men's deaths. His emotionless, objective rationality stems from his work as a pilot of an emergency rescue vessel. Due to his work, Barton has long since accepted the fact that men colonizing outer space are at the mercy of the laws of nature; there are few chances of survival. Yet, though Barton views death objectively and distantly, he must steel his nerves the moment he discovers there is a stowaway onboard because he is very reluctant to take any stranger's life:

[H]e had no choice in what he must do. There could be no alternative—but it required a few moments of conditioning for even an EDS pilot to prepare himself to walk across the room and coldly, deliberately, take the life of a man he had yet to meet.

Hence, Godwin does not characterize Barton as a cold person but rather as an emotionally distant person who has been desensitized by his environment. As the story progresses, his sensitivity returns.

When Barton realizes the stowaway is a young girl named Marilyn, his caring, empathetic characteristics emerge. Barton displays empathy for Marilyn by doing everything he can to try and save her or at least prolong her life, including contacting his commander to ask if there was a chance of an emergency rescue and receive permission to reduce his deceleration speed for a time. His empathetic, caring nature is further depicted when he says to Marilyn, "You'll never know how sorry I am," and reflects to himself that she'll return each night to his dreams to die all over again. His reflection shows just how much he will grieve her death.

Why does Jessie's mother call her big job a "nightmare"?

Intriguing question! In the book The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox, Jessie’s mother calls her big job a “nightmare.”

In the book, it is evident that Jessie’s mother is a hard worker. Despite her husband passing away, she raises two children through the money she earns from sewing. Although she also has the help of Jessie’s aunt, his aunt appears to offer little help or love to the family, especially after Jessie’s father (her brother) passes away.

As a result, Jessie’s mother takes on challenging sewing projects to earn money for her family. During the beginning of the book, she takes on a “nightmare.” This sewing project appears particularly challenging. Foremost, she cannot adequately see the material, which causes his mother to tell Jessie to go ask his aunt for some candlesticks. Subsequently, although the material is beautiful, she must make the dress quickly and it appears that she normally does not work with this fabric. Lastly, this project appears quite daunting and would take much time to complete. As Jessie’s thoughts reveal:

“I had seen damask and gauze and velvet and silk across my mother’s knees or falling in cascades from her table, but never such a lavish piece as this, of such a radiant hue.”

And:

“Without looking up, my mother said, ‘We need more candles,’ in such a fretful and desperate voice, I knew she was pressed for time and had before her a piece of work that would keep her up many nights.”

Thus, Jessie’s mother works hard to provide for her family. Although her job is difficult, such as with this current “nightmare” with a short deadline, unfamiliar material, and insufficient lighting, Jessie’s mother continues working hard to provide for her family.

What does the author list as the reason for the trouble to come in the story

In Book One of the Odyssey, Homer ascribes the trouble which Odysseus and his men encountered to their own "wild recklessness" (line 7). This wild recklessness manifested itself in two major ways. First, Homer reveals that Odysseus' men killed the sacred cattle of Helios, the sun god. As punishment, Zeus struck Odysseus' ship with lightning; this divine vengeance left Odysseus shipwrecked on Calypso's island. Moreover, Calypso fell in love with Odysseus and would not allow him to return home to Ithaca and his family.

Second, Odysseus incurred the wrath of Poseidon by blinding the sea-god's son, Polyphemus the cyclops. Although this event is related following the slaughter of Helios' cattle, it actually occurred first chronologically (this website provides a good chronological timeline for the Odyssey).

What did Alexander Hamilton think was the best type of economy?

Alexander Hamilton's vision for the American economy was, in a word, modern. Modeled after the evolving British system, he favored centralizing the American economy with a national bank and by federal assumption of state debts, a process which would be financed by the issuing of federal securities, high tariffs, and an excise tax. While these measures seem very modest by today's standards, in their day they were a substantial departure from the decentralized political economy that prevailed during the period immediately following the Revolution. Hamilton's vision for the economy was motivated by a desire to put the nation on a sound financial footing in its early years and also by a sincere belief that the government needed to have substantial powers to hold the nation together. He thought that the new nation would flourish best by serving the interests of the nation's financial elites, especially in the merchant and credit houses of Philadelphia and New York. The support of these individuals would be vital in securing the credit and the political future of the United States. 

In addition to high finance, Hamilton thought the nation's future lay in manufacturing. In a report delivered to Congress, he argued that the United States ought to take measures to encourage industry, including protective tariffs, which he said, in his typical prose, "wear a beneficent aspect toward the manufacturers of this country." His program for the development of manufactures was in fact connected to his financial plan--a centralized economy would put capital in the hands of those who could employ it in manufacturing ventures. In this way, he said, "the public purse must supply the deficiency of private resource. 

Every aspect of Hamilton's economic program was anathema to Thomas Jefferson and an emerging political faction that was frightened by the increase in centralized power it seemed to involve. Believing the nation's future lay in agriculture, and fearing the development of a British-style system that they saw as corrupt, they initiated one of the first major political conflicts in the history of the Republic in opposition to his plans.

Why doesn't Romeo want to attend the Capulets' party?

In Act 1 Scene 4, Romeo is depressed because the beauteous Rosaline hasn't returned his affections. He states that he has a "soul of lead" and doesn't feel like attending a party at all. Mercutio tells him to borrow "Cupid's wings" so that he can dance and soar "above a common bound," but Romeo maintains that he's too much "under love's heavy burden" to do anything remotely happy. Also, since all of them are Montagues and sworn enemies of the Capulets, Romeo wonders how they will be allowed to get in.

Romeo also tells Mercutio and Benvolio that he had a bad dream the night before.

For his part, Mercutio isn't too sympathetic about Romeo's grim assessment of life. He asserts that dreams are "begot of nothing but vain fantasy" and "thin of substance as the air." However, Romeo is not to be coaxed out of his bad mood. He argues that something is in the air, and he deeply feels that going to the party will somehow end in his "untimely death." So, Romeo doesn't want to attend the party because he's depressed about Rosaline not returning his affections, worried that Montagues won't be allowed to enter the Capulet residence, and concerned that the party foreshadows his untimely, future death.

What is the law of conservation of mass?

The Law of Conservation of Mass, also called the Law of Conservation of Matter, states that matter is neither created nor destroyed. The mass of matter in a closed system doesn't change over time even if matter is changed from one form to another. When a chemical reaction takes place atoms are rearranged to form one or more new substances with the total mass of the products always equal to the total mass of the reactants.

In the 1700s the French chemist Antoine Lavoisier showed that matter is conserved by carrying out chemical reactions in a system that didn't allow gaseous products to escape. Prior to that people thought mass changed during chemical reactions because gaseous products weren't accounted for. If you burn a log in a fire, it seems to mostly disappear and the small amount of ash that remains doesn't equal the original mass. However, most of what was produced is carbon dioxide gas and water vapor that escapes into the atmosphere. Lavoisier was able to show that these invisible products had mass and that the total mass of the products was the same as that of the reactants.

The grouping of things that are alike is the science of: A. petrology B. classification C. geology D. biology

B. Classification  

In science, sorting living things into groups that are alike and have similar qualities makes them easier to study and to identify newly discovered organisms. The grouping itself is know as the science of classification; the naming of the groups is known as taxonomy. The system originally formulated in the 1700s by Carolus Linnaeus is still in use today, though with many changes and additions. For example, Linnaeus grouped fungi with plants in the same kingdom; today they are separate kingdoms. As the system stands currently, there are two entire kingdoms of bacteria (Archaebacteria and Eubacteria), and the kingdoms of Protista, Fungi, Plants, and Animals. Each species has its own scientific name. It is know by its genus and its species, and is either italicized or underlined. The genus is capitalized, and the species is not. For example, Panthera leo is the scientific name for the lion. The levels of classification for animals from most general to most specific are Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus and Species. These are different for other kingdoms; see the links below for more details on these.

Why did progressivism emerge as a movement?

Progressivism emerged as a response to the problems created by the rapid industrialization and urbanization of the United States. They were not opposed to these developments, but sought to manage them in a way that would make a more humane and rational society. So progressives at the turn of the century sought to regulate the trusts, to clean up urban political machines, to improve living conditions in the tenements, and to make politics more responsive to the people. They wanted regulations on working conditions, restrictions on the giant monopolies that had formed in the late nineteenth century, more funding of, and standardization for, public education, and (some of them, anyway) advocated such reforms as temperance and woman suffrage. Progressives were not, for the most part, radicals in the sense that they wanted revolutionary change, and as mentioned above, they generally welcomed the modernization of society that occurred after the Civil War. But recognized that these changes had significant human costs, and they hoped to use the powers of government to shape those changes in ways that would benefit more people. 

How do you find an angle of refraction after a ray of light is incident into a material?

When light passes from one medium to another, refraction occurs. Refraction is the bending of the light's path due to a change in speed upon crossing the medium interface. For example, when the sun's light crosses from the atmosphere into a body of water, or when light strikes the glass pane of a window. If we know the angle of incidence and the index of refraction of both mediums, we can use Snell's law to calculate the angle of refraction.

Snell's Law:

`Ni*sin(thetai) = Nr*sin(thetar)`

where

Ni = the refractive index of the incident medium,

Nr = the refractive index of the refractive medium,

`thetai` = the angle of incidence, and

`thetar` = the angle of refraction. 

Solving this equation for the angle of refraction yields:

`thetar = sin^(-1)((Ni*sin(thetai))/(Nr))`

List two traditional beliefs or customs that Lakunle abides by throughout the play The Lion and the Jewel.

Throughout the play, The Lion and the Jewel, the character of Lakunle is known for his support of modernization and progress. Although he claims to utterly despise ancestral practices, he supports and refers to several traditional customs throughout the play. At the end of the play when Sidi returns to the village after sleeping with Baroka, she confesses that she lost her virginity to Sadiku and Lakunle. Lakunle laments and says, "This trial is my own. Let Sango and his lightning keep out of this...I'll swear he is a liar---and swear by Sango too!" (Soyinka 60). Lakunle swears by the Yuroba god of Thunder, Sango, which portrays his traditional religious beliefs. In addition to mentioning the Yuroba god, Lakunle justifies his refusal to pay the bride-price by referencing the traditional law that states that a man does not have to pay a bride-price if the woman he is marrying is not a virgin. He only supports the traditional custom when it is in accordance with his own beliefs.

Why didn't Tom's religious efforts aid him when it came time for the devil to come for him?

Toward the end of his life Tom Walker, the main character in Washington Irving's short story "The Devil and Tom Walker," becomes a terrible hypocrite. A hypocrite is someone who pretends to have certain moral or religious beliefs yet performs acts which go against these professed beliefs. 

Tom Walker becomes a devoted church goer only at the end of his life when he begins to worry about the after life. He hopes to cheat the devil out of the bargain they made which made him a wealthy man. He thinks that going to church and reading the Bible will nullify his deal with "old scratch." 

We know he's a hypocrite, however, because at the same time he is professing to be a good Christian, he is still lending money at exorbitant rates to the economically unfortunate of Boston. Usury (lending money and charging interest) was prohibited by the church, but evidently Tom never sees the incongruity between his newfound faith and his usurious ways. In the final scene, just as he is foreclosing on a desperate man's mortgage, the devil comes to get him and the reader may assume that God saw him as the imposter he was and wouldn't save him from the "black woodsman." 

How do Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig treat their workers at the party?

Fezziwig and his wife appear during Stave One, as Ebenezer is visiting scenes from his past.  Scrooge previously served as Fezziwig's apprentice.  It is clear that Fezziwig knows his business well, and that present-day Scrooge learned much from this apprenticeship.  Yet, what Scrooge is lacking, and what Fezziwig represents, is the balance between work and play.  At the party, Fezziwig treats his guests to food, lively singing, and dancing.  It is clear that, while Fezziwig has a good head for business, he also realizes the importance of treating his workers well and of celebrating life.

This example stands in direct contrast to the scene at Scrooge's office on Christmas Eve, which we have previously seen.  There, Scrooge counted his money while Bob Cratchit worked.  There was no party to be seen.  In Fezziwig's example, however, we see a glimpse of what Scrooge's life could be like, if he could find that balance.

What are the differences between the Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire?

There are several important distinctions between the Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire. 

First, let's look at the Roman Empire. The Roman imperial period began in 31 BCE when the republican period ended and Augustus became emperor. The Roman Empire was centered in Rome itself. Culturally, it remained officially pagan until the 4th century. It held political and military control over the Mediterranean, including parts of African, Asia, and Europe. The Roman Empire began to destabilize in the 4th-6th centuries CE. Eventually, external conflicts and internal political issues (such as power struggles, economic depression, and changes to the military) led to its fracturing.

Second, let's consider the transition to the Byzantine Empire. (One other difference to note is that the west was Latin speaking, while the east was Greek speaking, predominantly.) The Roman Emperor Constantine had moved the capital from Rome to Byzantium in the 3rd century (when it was renamed Constantinople). The center of power had shifted from the western part of the Roman Empire to the eastern part. It was this area, once the Eastern Roman Empire, which became the Byzantine Empire. The split is generally considered complete - and the Western Empire finished - in 476 CE.

Finally, the Byzantine Empire (which can also be called the Eastern Roman Empire, as they themselves still called it). The Byzantines continued to be a powerful political force in the Mediterranean and western Asia for the next thousand years, waxing and waning at different points. It was based in Constantinople (formerly Byzantium and later Istanbul). It was culturally more eastern and Greek leaning than the Latin west had been. It was also Orthodox Christian. Eventually, they lost economic and military power to Turkish and Arab imperial powers and to the devastation of the crusades. Constantinople finally fell in 1453 to the Ottomans, ending the Byzantine Empire.

What are some of the advantages and disadvantages to a national policy that must be implemented by an agency of the federal bureaucracy?

The major benefits of having a policy that needs to be carried out by a national bureaucratic agency are that the policy is carried out in a uniform way by professional technocrats.  The first positive aspect of such a policy is that the policy is carried out the same way everywhere.  If a policy is left to be carried out by all the different state and/or local bureaucratic agencies, there will not be a central authority that can control the way in which it is being implemented.  By having the national government carry out this policy, we get a uniform policy across the country.  The second positive aspect of this policy is that it is carried out by technocrats.  The members of this bureaucratic agency are presumably experts in their field.  Therefore, they will be better equipped to carry the policy out than other people would be.

The major downsides of such a policy are the opposite of its benefits.  While it is good that the policy will be centrally administered, that makes is less flexible.  It means that local agencies cannot adapt the policy to fit their needs. Instead, the national government imposes a “one size fits all” policy on the states and localities.  While it is good that the policy is being carried out by technocrats, this does make things somewhat less democratic.  It is hard for the people to put pressure on bureaucrats if they do not like the way in which the policy is being implemented.

Thus, the good and bad aspects of having such a policy come together and cannot really be separated from one another.

How does Steinbeck's initial description of the bunkhouse show that the migrant workers have to live in harsh conditions in Of Mice and Men?

Steinbeck describes the barren bunkhouse with its whitewashed walls and unpainted floor, small square windows in only three walls, and a solid, wooden door with a rustic wooden latch. For beds there are eight small bunks with single blankets or burlap ticking, and above the beds a wooden box nailed to the wall acts as shelving on which the bindle stiffs place their meager belongings. Thus, the living conditions are those of the ascetic or the poor. 

There are no curtains at the walls, no paintings, no mirrors, no rugs, no comfortable chairs. In the middle of this bunkhouse, a large, square table functions as a card table or gathering spot for the men to sit; however, they must sit upon boxes as there are no chairs. Everything inside the bunkhouse is impersonal and functional. For example, "[N]ear one wall there was a black cast-iron stove, its stove pipe going straight up through the ceiling." This stove's function is to heat the bunkhouse.

Much like the lives of the bindle stiffs, there is a sense of the temporal in this bunkhouse devoid of any real comforts; in addition, nowhere is there decorations or curtains--those things that personalize a place and make it feel a little like home. Instead, the bunkhouse is merely a station where the men come to sleep and to relax for brief periods with no privacy, either. It is not unlike the barn quarters of Crooks, the stable hand, other than the fact he is isolated from the other men.

How can I compare Mr. Wickfield and Mr. Spenlow in David Copperfield?

Mr. Wickfield is Agnes’s father and David’s guardian during his time at school. He is kind and gentle, but unfortunately easily manipulated. He falls victim to Uriah Heep, as does Aunt Betsey Trotwood. He cares for David and Agnes throughout their childhood. He is well off financially, though not excessively wealthy. Unfortunately Uriah Heep is able to finagle much of his wealth from him.

Mr. Spenlow, Dora’s father, is not very kind. He refuses to allow David to court his daughter, viewing him as a mere clerk (and employee). His daughter is meant for better things, much more than David will be able to provide for her. His death is somewhat a release, enabling David to pursue Dora and eventually marry her.

Both of David’s fathers-in-law are influential in his life. However, it is Mr. Wickfield who provides him with a happy life as a child and a happy marriage with his daughter as an adult.

Does the written or performed version of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech have better ethos?

Ethos is one of the three rhetorical, or persuasive, appeals that Aristotle, the Greek philosopher, discussed. Ethos is an appeal to authority or credibility. The other appeals are pathos, an appeal to emotions, and logos, an appeal to reason. 

Watching or even listening to Martin Luther King, Jr.'s, "I Have a Dream" speech has a more powerful ethos appeal than simply reading it. Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered the speech in Washington, D.C., in front of the Lincoln Memorial to a group of 250,000 people who had assembled as part of the largest gathering that had ever met in the nation's capital. Just seeing the crowds is impressive, and that helps build MLK's ethos. In addition, when you listen to or watch the speech, you will hear audience reactions punctuating certain phrases. The approbation of the crowd makes you want to respond in the same way, again bolstering the credibility of the speech. 

Some of the specific appeals to authority MLK uses are reinforced by the setting, which comes across better when you watch the speech. MLK refers to the Emancipation Proclamation, signed by Abraham Lincoln, before whose statue he stands. And as he draws on the authority of the nation's founding document, the Declaration of Independence, it is all the more stirring when you see him standing in the seat of the very government that eventually rose from that document. Finally, when MLK calls upon the authority of the Bible or Negro spirituals, his claims are made more powerful when you hear his voice because the cadence and dialect he uses reflect the tone of a Southern gospel preacher. 

For these reasons, to appreciate the full power of the ethos appeal of this speech, you should watch it rather than just read it.

Explain what is strange about the condition of Jem's pants when he retrieves them.

In Ch. 6 Jem, Scout, and Dill all sneak into the Radley yard. They see a shadow of a man come at them from inside the house and they get so scared that they run back out of the yard, and Jem loses his pants because they snag on the bottom of the fence.

Later that night he goes back to retrieve them, but it is not until Ch. 7 that we find out the condition of the pants. Apparently, when Jem went back for them they were "sloppily mended" and left on the fence for him. 

Soon after, the kids discover a ball of twine in the knothole and we can assume that Boo mended the pants and left the twine. 

What can we understand to be the writer's own attitude toward the lottery and the stoning in the story "The Lottery"?

I think that Jackson's attitude towards the stoning and lottery is meant to generate thought about what we do to other people in our daily lives.

Jackson does not speak of her judgment in a didactic manner in "The Lottery."  In fact, the entire style of the short story is one where "no judgments are made."  Jackson does not let any of her own thoughts get in the way of what is happening in the town and how it proceeds with its ritual. However, when reflecting about what she wanted to depict, Jackson wanted to focus on the role that cruelty plays in our lives:  "I hoped by setting a particularly brutal ancient rite in the present and in my own village, to shock the story's readers with a graphic dramatization of the pointless violence and general humanity in their own lives." Jackson's own attitude towards the stoning and the lottery is to provide a view into the savagery that human beings perpetrate upon one another.

Another aspect of Jackson's attitude towards the stoning and the lottery lies in the story's historical context.  Many believe that the way Jackson depicts "fierce events"  represent " a sensitive and faithful anatomy of our times, fitting symbols for our distressing world of the concentration camp and the bomb."  Jackson writes "The Lottery" in a world emerging from the destruction of the atomic bomb and the Holocaust.  It is a world where the fear of Communism in America gave birth to McCarthyism.  This historical context surrounds Jackson, and her attitude towards such realities are evident in her short story. 

`y = sqrt(x), x = 0, y = 2` Use the method of cylindrical shells to find the volume of the solid obtained by rotating the region bounded by...

The shell has the radius y, the cricumference is `2pi*y` and the height is `y^2 - 0` , hence, the volume can be evaluated, using the method of cylindrical shells, such that:

`V = 2pi*int_0^2 y*(y^2 - 0) dy`

`V = 2pi*int_0^2 y^3 dy`

Using the formula `int y^n dy = (y^(n+1))/(n+1) ` yields:

`V = 2pi*(y^4)/4|_0^2`

`V = pi*(y^4)/2|_0^2`

`V = pi*(2^4 - 0^4)/2`

`V = 8pi`

Hence, evaluating the volume, using the method of cylindrical shells, yields `V = 8pi.`

How does "The Raven" relate to Poe's real life, aside from paralleling his grief for his wife Virginia?

Perhaps it doesn't.

If you want to, you can definitely point out the various tragedies of Poe's real life, the struggles he endured that involved everything from gambling debts to drinking to strained familial relationships to the death of his wife, and you can find reflections of those struggles in his stories and poems about tortured souls, especially in his poem "The Raven." In fact, Richard Kopley suggests in his introduction to The Raven and Other Poems that "an appreciation of the losses that Poe had endured in his life increases our understanding" of Poe's work.

But if you're trying to look too closely to confirm your guess that the poem and the poet's life have deeper parallels, you may not be successful.

However, we do have some hints about what Poe was thinking when he wrote "The Raven."

For example, we do know that he wanted us to interpret the bird as a symbol of memory. He wanted us to understand the raven itself as the embodiment of a terribly sad, ongoing remembrance. (I'm getting this from Kopley's introduction that I mentioned a moment ago.) This makes sense when you think of how the bird can only say the same phrase again and again: it reveals how we find only limited comfort in our memory of people we've lost, since we can only access recollections of the finite things they said and did, since they will no longer say or do anything else or continue to interact with us. 

We also have some extensive commentary from Poe himself on what he was trying to accomplish, literary-wise, by writing "The Raven." You can find his thoughts in his published essay entitled "The Philosophy of Composition." You'll find a bunch of insights there, including the fact that he purposefully wrote that poem to appeal to popular taste as well as to the taste of the critics. That fact alone might convince us that Poe was primarily working to create a masterful (and profitable) piece of literature rather than use it to subtly express his own personal struggles.

How can I respond to this essay prompt? "Imagine you are character in a work of literature. Discuss how you relate to the character, what traits...

Break it down before you get started. Making an outline is always helpful. The first thing you have to do is choose your character. Think about the things you have read--is there a character that you strongly related to? Has there been a character that you have "rooted for" as you were reading? Has there been a character that has reminded you of yourself?

Once you have chosen your character, you need to choose two instances from the work illustrating choices the character has made or a specific action. One will be a decision that you agree with--explain why you agree with this decision. One will be a decision you disagree with--explain what you would have done differently.

Your thesis paragraph (the first paragraph of your paper) should indicate a few things. It should identify the character you are discussing and the work the character is from. It should also introduce the ideas you will be talking about in your paper in terms of the moments of the work you have chosen to look at. The body of your paper should explore these moments in detail.

It sounds like a personal opinion paper, so you can probably use the word "I"--but I would check with the instructor on that before you start writing.

Good luck and have fun! This sounds like it could be a fun assignment.

How did Enlightenment thinkers influence the Declaration of Independence?

The men that signed the Declaration of Independence, as well as the man who wrote it, were very much influenced by Enlightenment political theory.  The Declaration of Independence stated that if a government does not protect the freedoms of its citizens, the citizens have the right to overthrow said government.  This is the idea of a social contract that grew out of Enlightenment thought.  Jean Jacques Rousseau spoke of legitimate governments that citizens should submit to.  These are governments that are not tyrannical in nature.  

John Locke speaks of natural rights that the government cannot deny its subjects.  These rights, as Locke defines them, are life, liberty, and property.  Thomas Jefferson, in writing the Declaration of Independence, quoted John Locke nearly verbatim in discussing the unalienable rights of man (life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.)  Enlightenment ideals of equality and popular sovereignty are also prevalent in the Declaration of Independence. 

Identify the two basic decisions addressed by inventory management and discuss why the responses to these decisions differ for continuous and...

Inventory management is used to make decisions about (1) when to order new stock and (2) how much stock to order.

Periodic and continuous inventory systems address these two basic decisions in different ways. 

In a periodic inventory system, the amount of stock on hand is assessed periodically (i.e., every week or month or some other fixed-time interval). The amount to order is then determined based on the amount on hand and expected demand. Thus, all the orders are placed in one batch per period.

In a continuous inventory system, the inventory is always known (a record is kept at all times). When the amount of stock on hand drops below a set amount (called the reorder point) an order is placed for a pre-determined quantity which is calculated to keep inventory costs low. Thus, an order can be placed at any time.

To summarize, with respect to decisions (1) and (2):

A periodic inventory system places orders (1) at fixed intervals for a (2) quantity calculated based on the amount currently on hand.

A continuous inventory system places orders (1) when the reorder point is reached for a (2) pre-determined, fixed quantity.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, why is the line "Jem was a born hero" ironic?

The quote "Jem was a born hero" is found in chapter four when Jem, Dill, and Scout are playing out the story of Boo Radley's life. Since Jem is the oldest, he tends to take control of everything that the children play and how they play it. Therefore Jem is the one who divvies out the parts to the other kids, which Scout begrudgingly accepts.

"I was Mrs. Radley, and all I had to do was come out and sweep the porch. Dill was old Mr. Radley: he walked up and down the sidewalk and coughed when Jem spoke to him. Jem, naturally was Boo: he went under the front steps and shrieked and howled from time to time" (39).

Since Scout is the only girl, then, she has to play Mrs. Radley and ends up with little to do but sweep and scream. Dill, on the other hand, "was a villain's villain" (39) and gets to play Mr. Radley. Therefore Jem gets to play the hero in all of their games, so his assigned role is Boo.

The irony of all this is that Boo is considered the hero and not the villain. With all of the superstitious talk about Boo, and the gossip and the fear of him around town, it would seem logical that Boo is the villain of the story. Mr. Radley should be considered the victim because he gets attacked by Boo with scissors, but in the children's story, Mr. Radley is the villain because he locks Boo away from the world. As a result, Jem, being a born hero, must play the hero; so, Boo becomes the unlikely and ironic hero of the story.

In Wole Soyinka's The Lion and the Jewel, what happens in the morning following Sidi's visit to Baroka's palace?

In the morning following Sidi's visit to Baroka's palace, Lakunle is cursing at Sadiku for sharing the Bale's secret, when Sidi runs onto the stage and throws herself on the ground. Sadiku asks her what is wrong, and Sidi pushes her away. Lakunle then attempts to console Sidi, but Sidi also pushes him away. Lakunle immediately thinks that Baroka physically assaulted Sidi and swears to kill the Bale. Sidi calls him a fool and tells both Lakunle and Sadiku that Baroka lied. Sidi says that Baroka lied about being impotent and gloated about his cunning trick after he had taken her virginity. Sidi then admits that she hates Baroka and wishes to kill him. Lakunle and Sadiku both want to know if Sidi is still a "maid," and Sidi shakes her head. Lakunle is shocked, but Sadiku is rather optimistic and tells Sidi to cheer up. Lakunle initially laments before mentioning that he shouldn't have to pay the bride-price now that Sidi has lost her virginity. Sidi seems rather surprised that Lakunle still considers marrying her, then runs off of the stage. Sadiku then tells Lakunle that Sidi is packing her things and preparing to get married. Lakunle goes crazy because he didn't expect Sidi to be ready to marry immediately. Amusingly, Lakunle misinterprets Sidi's actions and Sidi ends up marrying Baroka, but only after she mocks Lakunle for his lack of masculinity.

What are examples of modern drama?

Modern Drama refers to plays written in the 19th and 20th centuries whereas contemporary drama refers to plays written today. Modern dramatists include such playwrights as Tennessee Williams, Oscar Wilde, and Henrik Ibsen. Here are a few quintessential examples of modern drama:

A DOLL'S HOUSE by Henrik Ibsen
One of the best-known modern plays is A Doll's House. In a rich, naturalistic style, Ibsen examined the struggle against the unyielding constraints of social conformity, particularly as they are applied to women in their marriages. Nora, the protagonist, ultimately rejects the marriage that would smother her, something that genuinely shocked audiences around the world when the play first premiered in the late 1800s.

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE by Tennessee Williams
This much-beloved play tells the story of faded beauty Blanche DuBois and her enticing, if primitive, brother in law Stanley Kowalski. The play took home the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and is widely regarded to be just as powerful today as it was when it first premiered over half a century ago.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST by Oscar Wilde
This hilarious restoration comedy tells the story of philanderer Algernon and his friend Jack who is caught up in Algernon's web of lies -- as well as his own -- as he proceeds to woo the beautiful Gwendolyn. This is the perfect example of the well-made play, and is constantly revived.

What is the person versus self conflict in The Hunger Games?

Katniss’s main internal conflict is how far she will go to try to win the game and survive, such as pretending to love Peeta.

A person versus self conflict is an internal conflict.  It is a struggle a person has with herself.  It often involves decisions that are hard to make, fears, or worries.

Katniss has many internal conflicts in the book, but most of them revolve around what she is willing to do in order to participate in the spectacle of the games.  She knows what people want her to do, and realizes that the longer that she plays along the more likely she is to survive.

Although being ready and willing to kill is difficult, Katniss’s main internal conflict regarding the game has to do with Peeta.  Peeta surprises her when he announces to the world that he loves Katniss during his interview with Caesar.

Peeta sighs. "Well, there is this one girl. I’ve had a crush on her ever since I can remember. But I’m pretty sure she didn’t know I was alive until the reaping." (Ch. 9)

Katniss has to decide whether or not she can pretend to love Peeta.  If she does, then she will get valuable public support.  It could mean the difference between living and dying.  This becomes clear to her when she receives help from Haymitch.

Haymitch couldn’t be sending me a clearer message. One kiss equals one pot of broth. I can almost hear his snarl. “You’re supposed to be in love, sweetheart. The boy’s dying. Give me something I can work with!” (Ch. 19)

Katniss knows that Haymitch will be able to get donations from sponsors if it looks like she is in love with Peeta.  She kisses him, and plays along pretending she is in love, in order to help them both survive.

The whole thing went to the next level when it is announced that two winners can come from the same district.  That was when Katniss determined that she could help Peeta without endangering her own life.  As the game went on, she had to decide whether to eat the berries and kill herself to prevent having to kill him.  Again, the star-crossed lovers gimmick worked, and both of them were announced winners.  Despite the political implications, their lives were spared for the moment.

Katniss has complicated feelings for Peeta.  She has a close friend, and possible love interest, at home: Gale.  Gale is nothing like Peeta, and more like Katniss.  Katniss feels like she is betraying Gale by pretending to love Peeta.  At the same time, she does care about Peeta.  This causes Katniss constant inner turmoil.  To survive, she has to do things she never thought she would do—kill other kids, and pretend to love Peeta.

Is there good research evidence which supports the usefulness of criminal profiling?

Criminal profiling is a method that uses statistical probabilities as well as professional insights from criminal psychologists and criminologists to paint a picture of the traits that a criminal might have or what a criminal might do based on data from the crime. The usefulness of criminal profiling is limited to how closely to average for a certain set of statistics the criminal's behavior falls.

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) claims that profiling has been helpful in solving 84% of the cases where profilers were called in. They also admit that it has hindered 24% of investigations. Profiles are supposed to be guidelines used in tandem with the other evidence in a case. They become hinderances when suspects are assumed to be innocent or guilty based solely on the profile. These profiles may include items such as intelligence, organization, approximate age, career and mental status as well as give a general idea about the type life or lifestyle the suspect leads. 

One of the most well known and controversial methods of criminal profiling is racial profiling. This is when someone is stopped and becomes a suspect (sometimes for a crime that is unspecified) based on his or her race. This happens predominantly with people of African-American or Middle Eastern decent. Supporters of racial profiling claim that statistically certain crimes are more likely to be perpetrated by a certain race while opponents claim that it is a form of discrimination.

Criminal profiling is not only useful to law enforcement, but a valuable asset if used correctly. Strict adherence to the profile may cause investigators to ignore leads that do not fit. When used as a guide to filter through to the most likely set of suspects or circumstances, it can mean the difference between finding a new lead based and letting a crime go unsolved. 

Describe the character of the narrator in "The Black Cat."

One word sums up the narrator in Edgar Allan Poe's story "The Black Cat": sociopath. A sociopath doesn't respect laws or social rules, disregards others' rights, displays emotional and violent behavior, and fails to feel remorse or guilt for wrong actions. The narrator in this story is a middle-aged man whose behavior deteriorates to the point of murder. We only have the narrator's words by which to judge him, and he tells us from the beginning he is not a trustworthy narrator, for he says in the first sentence, "I neither expect nor solicit belief." Not only does this reveal his untrustworthy nature, but it also indicates that this man spurns approval or acceptance by others--he is anti-social. In the second paragraph, he makes sure we know that the "docility and humanity of my disposition" was remarkable from the time he was a baby. This statement we take with a huge grain of salt. The likelier scenario is that, as a child, he was a terror, but he saw himself as peaceful and loving. 

An example he gives of what a kind person he was is that he took in many pets as a child. However, reading between the lines here, we can guess that he didn't like people and they didn't like him, and that's what led him to embrace the company of animals. His estrangement from people could well have been caused by his lack of respect for social rules. 

Nevertheless, the man does marry, and his wife takes in pets. Perhaps this is because she is not getting her companionship needs met by her husband. As the years go by, the man turns to alcohol, and to this he attributes the fact that he "grew, day by day, more moody, more irritable, more regardless of the feelings of others." This shows other characteristics of a sociopath: emotional, violent, and heedless of others' rights. Indeed, he verbally abuses and beats his wife. He cuts out Pluto's eye with his pen knife, and he eventually murders the cat.

Through all these episodes, the narrator cannot feel true remorse. The level of remorse he feels is "a feeble and equivocal feeling, and the soul remained untouched." Although in the first part of the story he blames his actions on his "disease" of alcoholism, in the second part he has dropped that excuse and the second black cat becomes the thing that causes him to act the way he does. He never fully takes responsibility for his actions. Even in the process of writing his confession, he can never quite confess, for in the penultimate sentence he attributes his actions to the "hideous beast whose craft had seduced me into murder."

In this story, Poe has given us the portrait of a sociopath.