What did Thomas Jefferson say that leads us to believe he thought very highly of John Locke?

Well for one thing, some of Jefferson's writings are so closely paraphrased from John Locke it borders on plagiarism. Indeed, the two documents are so similar that it's not hard to imagine Jefferson looking over his annotated copy of "Two Treatises of Government" as he drafted the Declaration of Independence.

Where Locke said we had "insuperable rights" of "life, liberty and property", Jefferson said we had "inalienable rights" of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness".

Locke also appears to have been the source of many of Jefferson's core principles, such as "consent of the governed" and the role of revolutions as a last resort---but a necessary option to have---against tyranny.

Oddly, Jefferson did not actually speak or write about Locke specifically all that often, but he seemed to deeply internalize most of Locke's ideas on political philosophy. It could be what is called "the anxiety of influence"; perhaps Jefferson knew that he was so influenced by Locke that if he talked about Locke too much people would think he had no new ideas of his own!

What role did African slavery play in the development of north and South America and the Caribbean in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries?

The want and need for slave labor to work sugar cane, cotton, and tobacco plantations prevalent in the Americas set up the Triangular Trade route in the 16th and 17th centuries. From England, Spain, and other countries like Portugal, slave traders would make the voyage to Africa to pick up slaves as the first leg of the route. The second leg of the trade route started in Africa with the capturing and enslavement of Africans where they were taken onboard ships and transferred to islands in the Caribbean and to countries in South America.  This is historically called the Middle Passage in the trade route.  From there, slaves were sold and forced to work in sugar cane plantations (and later cotton plantations) to make rum and other goods to be shipped to England and other European countries (the 3rd leg of the Triangular Trade route).

As slave trade continued in the 1600’s, it wasn’t long before the demand for slave labor included the newly settled North American continent.  Tobacco and cotton soon became the “cash crops” that demanded slaves to cultivate them. Unable to enslave Native Americans, the United States quickly turned to the slave trade to fill its plantations with free labor.  The majority of slaves brought to the United States originated from the Caribbean Islands and the Middle Passage in the Triangular Trade route. 

The slave trade developed many countries of today into the economical powers they are.  The statement that many countries were built on the backs of slaves rings true.  

`y = root(3)(x), y = 0, x = 1` Use the method of cylindrical shells to find the volume generated by rotating the region bounded by the given...

The shell has the radius `x` , the cricumference is `2pi*x ` and the height is `root(3)(x)` , hence, the volume can be evaluated, using the method of cylindrical shells, such that:

`V = 2pi*int_(x_1)^(x_2) x*(6x - 3x^2) dx`

You need to evaluate the endpoints `x_1` and `x_2` , such that:

`root(3) x = 0 => x = 0^3 =>x = 0`

`V = 2pi*int_0^1 x*(root(3) x) dx`

`V = 2pi*(int_0^1 x^(1/3) dx`

Using the formula `int x^n dx = (x^(n+1))/(n+1)` yields:

`V = 2pi*(3/4)*(x^(4/3))|_0^1`

`V = (3pi/2)*(1^(4/3) - 0^(4/3))`

`V = (3pi)/2`

Hence, evaluating the volume, using the method of cylindrical shells, yields `V = (3pi)/2.`

Why did Numa initially turn down the kingship of Rome?

According to Plutarch's The Life of Numa, after the death of Romulus (the first king of Rome), the feuding supporters of Romulus and Tatius eventually agreed to crown Numa king.

However, Numa initially turned down the offer of kingship for a few reasons:

1) He was happy living a quiet life.

2) He was greatly devoted to academic pursuits.

3) He appreciated a peaceful existence, one in which his acquaintances came together to worship deity or to engage in friendly conversation.

4) He reasoned that the people were much accustomed to having a war-like king, such as Romulus was. He argued that he would have a hard time living up to Romulus' strong reputation for war and conquest. Additionally, he felt that he would become a laughing-stock among his subjects if he were to preach against the violence and war that has accorded Rome all its manifest power.

5) He asserted that the fortunes of a king seem to be predicated on the political winds of change. Numa gives the example of Romulus, who was accused of plotting against his colleague, Tatius, king of the Sabines. Yet, Romulus was greatly believed to be a 'child of the gods.' Indeed, Numa believed a king's position and power to be tenuous at best.

Moreover, the very traits in my disposition which are to be commended, are far from marking a man destined to be a king, namely, my great love of retirement, my devotion to studies inconsistent with the usual activities of men, and my well-known strong and inveterate love of peace, of unwarlike occupations...

Besides, the people has become much accustomed to war, and eager for it because of their successes, and no one is blind to their desire for growth by conquest. I should therefore become a laughing-stock if I sought to serve the gods, and taught men to honour justice and hate violence and war, in a city which desires a leader of its armies rather than a king.

In The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, how is Bruno's father presented and what is his personality like?

Bruno's father is depicted as a proud Nazi, who is determined to climb the ranks in the German Army. He makes significant sacrifices, like moving his family from Berlin to Auschwitz because of his job. Bruno describes his father a strict man who has many rules. If Bruno breaks these rules, he must endure a "serious talking to." Bruno's father treats the maids and housekeepers with contempt. The other soldiers at Auschwitz look up to Bruno's father and are continually trying to find favor with him. He is rather controversial throughout the novel and is always fighting with his wife and arguing with his mother. Although he is proud of his position as Commandant and all of his military accomplishments, he is scared to say "no" to Hitler, which is why he moves his family to Auschwitz. He is stressed out most of the time and even finds out his wife has been cheating on him. He struggles with his personal life and loses his mind after Bruno disappears. Bruno's father is a tragic character throughout the novel The Boy in The Striped Pajamas.

How old was Frost when he made his momentous decisions?

It is generally agreed that Frost (speaker of the poem) is a young man when he chooses one of the two roads. The final stanza makes this clear: 

I shall be telling this with a sigh 

Somewhere ages and ages hence: 

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— 

I took the one less traveled by, 

And that has made all the difference. 

He says that he will be retelling the story of his choice years later. So, he is attempting to foresee how he will view his choice as an older man. It is not overtly clear exactly how old he is when he chooses this path. But considering that this idea of choosing a path is metaphoric, it could refer to any significant life choice at any time during his life. Since he is contemplating how his older self will judge his choice, we might suppose that he chooses during his twenties or thirties, a time when many people make significant life choices such as careers, marriage, and children. 

Note that in that final stanza, he says he will be telling the story of his choice "with a sigh." This is the key to the poem. The two roads looked the same: "the passing there / Had worn them really about the same." The "sigh" indicates that he might regret his choice and just pretend that he took the less traveled road. In other words, he hopes he will have taken the road less traveled. He can not know for sure at the time because both roads look "about the same." 

What were the similarities between World War I and World War II?

There were many similarities between World War I and World War II. One similarity was the causes of both of these wars. In both wars, imperialism was a factor. In both wars, countries that had no or few colonies wanted to get control of more land. Another similarity was nationalism. In both wars, countries believed that they were supreme and that their way of life should be spread to other areas. A third cause was militarism. In both wars, countries were building up their military forces before going to war.

There are a few other similarities in both world wars. In both wars, the United States was neutral when the conflicts began. We eventually joined the Allies in both world wars. The United States was very influential in helping the Allies win in both wars. We provided many supplies to the Allies in each conflict. The people in the United States made many sacrifices to help our military be successful in both conflicts. People limited their consumption of food and bought victory bonds. The government also assumed more control over our economy in both conflicts.

In chapter 26 of To Kill a Mockingbird, what are two relevant details that show that Miss Gates is a hypocrite?

Chapter 26 takes place after Tom Robinson's unfair trial and subsequent death. Scout is back at school, and her teacher Miss Gates assigns the children a current events article to bring to class.

The first sign that Miss Gates is a hypocrite is when she tries to teach the children about democracy, which Scout says is "equal rights for all, special privileges for none." Her teacher agrees with the definition. However, earlier in the chapter, Scout notices the unfairness of Miss Gates' assignment, noting the discrepancies between the newspapers available to the town children and the "bus children." Scout states that this was another reason the "bus children" felt neglected, meaning that the town children had "special privileges" that they did not. If Miss Gates really did believe in democracy, she would do more to help the poor children have the same opportunities as the town children and would not look down on them. Furthermore, Miss Gates has no problem with the fact that Tom Robinson did not have rights equal to those of a white man. Therefore, she is a hypocrite. 

Later, after a class discussion about Hitler's treatment of the Jews, she speaks to them at length about how wrong it is to persecute anyone, so Scout believes that Miss Gates hates Hitler and what he stands for. On the other hand, Scout recalls hearing her say that "it's time somebody taught (African Americans) a lesson, they were getting way above themselves, and the next thing they think they can do is marry (them)." Scout is utterly confused and asks Jem how Miss Gates can hate Hitler but be "ugly" about the African Americans of Maycomb. The fact that she disagrees with the persecution of the Jews by Hitler but agrees with the persecution of Tom Robinson by the Ewells and Maycomb society makes Miss Gates a hypocrite.

Why was Amir one of the bravest and most courageous characters in Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner?

It is almost blasphemous to suggest that Amir is brave or courageous after he watches Assef rape Hassan and doesn't do anything about it. It is even harder to suggest it when he tries to frame Hassan for stealing in order to get him sent away.

The bravery and courage that Amir demonstrates come later in the story, after he has been unable to face his horrific actions as a boy. It is only when Rahim Kahn, who was aware of what happened, calls and tells him that he has a chance to redeem himself that he begins to face his fears.

He faces them with an impressive amount of courage when the time comes. When he has to go and meet with Assef and Assef is beating him so badly that he begins to assume that he will die, he begins to laugh at the relief he feels at finally standing up to him. He knew that his "body was broken... but [he] felt healed."

And he fights desperately to save Sohrab both from Assef and later from himself. He even has the courage to bring him home to his wife and to try and build a family around him despite having a clear understanding of how difficult that will be.

Referring to the short story, The Chaser, what does "young people who need a love potion very seldom have five thousand dollars" mean?

The quote you're referencing is a line in John Collier's short story, The Chaser. 
 
The story is about a young man named Alan who meets with a mysterious old man in order to buy a love potion that will cause the woman he loves, Diana, to love him back. 

However, before showing him the love potion, the old man hands him a bottle of poison he sells for $5,000.00 and tells him that it's colorless, tasteless, and won't be picked up by an autopsy.
 
Alan then tells him that he's not looking for a poison and asks if all the other potions are as expensive as that one. That's where the quote you referenced comes in. 
 
The entire quote actually reads, "'Oh dear, no,' said the old man. 'It would be no good charging that sort of price for a love potion, for example. Young people who need a love potion very seldom have five thousand dollars. Otherwise they would not need a love potion'" (Collier). 
 
In saying that, the old man is implying that if the young man had money, he wouldn't need a love potion in order to get the woman he loves to return his feelings. If he were wealthier, she'd show him affection for that reason alone. It's also an implication that the young man doesn't have much to offer the woman, at least in a material sense.

How did the littluns spend their day in Lord of the Flies?

The Littleuns spend their day eating and playing around.

The littleuns are the smallest children on the island.  Most of the older kids never bother to learn their names.  They defer to the older children and consider Ralph like an adult because he is bigger than they are. 

The littleuns are ignored most of the time.  When tasks need to be performed, it is assumed they have no value.

“They’re hopeless. The older ones aren’t much better. D’you see? All day I’ve been working with Simon. No one else. They’re off bathing, or eating, or playing.” (Ch. 3)

Ralph has a point. The little kids spend their days playing on the beach, swimming, or eating fruit from the trees.

They ate most of the day, picking fruit where they could reach it and not particular about ripeness and quality. … Apart from food and sleep, they found time for play, aimless and trivial, in the white sand by the bright water. (Ch. 4)

The littleuns are always dirty, but they cry for their mothers less and less as time goes on.  They obey the conch when one of the older boys blows it, but otherwise they pretty much ignore the older boys and the older boys ignore them.

When the signal fire gets out of control and burns a swatch through the island, one of the littleuns is never seen again. It is assumed that he died.  He has a mulberry-colored birthmark, or other older kids may never have noticed him at all.  No one really cares that he is dead either.  The younger kids do not really understand, and the older ones just seem to take it as a normal occurrence.

The division between the children with names and the littleuns demonstrates the society developing on the island.  The children are broken into classes.  The older boys do not seem to feel responsible for the younger ones.  No one takes care of them, so they just cry for their mothers and eat themselves sick.  The older kids have plenty of leisure time too, but they also engage in more serious pursuits like the signal fire and hunting.

What is the problem with Ralph and Piggy's plan in Chapter 8?

In Chapter 8, Jack leaves Ralph's group to start his own tribe on the other end of the island. When he leaves, Piggy suggests that they build a signal fire between the bathing pool and the platform. There are a few problems with this plan. The first being that they fire they eventually build it too large to maintain. Since the fire is not on top of the mountain surrounded by dry wood, they need to travel distances to gather enough wood to maintain such a large fire. The second problem is that there are not enough boys to maintain the fire. The majority of the boys snuck off to join Jack's tribe while they were gathering driftwood. The third problem with their plan deals with the location of the fire. Later on in the novel, Jack and several hunters easily steal burning logs from Ralph's fire because it is not protected and is an easy target.

In "The Minister's Black Veil," what parts of Hooper's face are covered by the veil?

The story opens with the surprising and shocking appearance of Parson Hooper wearing a black veil. The veil is described as two layers of crape, a crisp and folded material traditionally associated with mourning. The veil covers Hooper's eyes, but not his mouth or chin, so we might assume that it terminates somewhere around the level of his nose. The material is apparently thin enough that Hooper can see out of it, though it must cast everything he sees in dark tones. 

The exact reasons for leaving his mouth and chin exposed are not stated. Aspects of the story such as this are the source of much discussion and interpretation that largely depends upon the reader - for example, because the veil is interpreted by many as a symbol of mourning, and because Hooper reveals at the end of the story that he "sees" veils on everyone's faces, the fact that he is only half-veiled allows him to speak for the truth that he sees from the other side - he is, in a sense, a messenger between the worlds of what is, and what appears to be. By hiding his eyes, and with them the majority of his identity and humanity, he instead becomes a living vessel for the messages that others need to hear.

What character displays courage in Part 2 of To Kill a Mockingbird?

In Chapter 15, Jem displays courage by refusing to leave Atticus alone at the jail-house when the Old Sarum bunch arrives. The day before Tom Robinson's trial, Atticus decides to drive to the Maycomb jail-house and sit outside Tom Robinson's cell. Jem, who is at home, decides to leave and find Atticus to make sure he is alright. As Atticus is reading outside Tom Robinson's cell, four cars arrive from the Meridan highway. The men who get out of the cars are part of the Old Sarum bunch. Walter Cunningham is the leader of this 'mob,' and plans on harming Tom Robinson. Jem, who is hiding out of sight with Scout and Dill, watches as the men surround Atticus. After Scout runs into the circle of men, Jem walks out his hiding place. Atticus tells Jem to "go home," but Jem refuses to leave. One of the men from the mob grab Jem by his collar and says, "I'll send him home." (Lee 203) After Scout kicks the man, he lets Jem go, and Atticus continues telling Jem to leave. Jem displays his courage by choosing to stay and stand up for his father during a dangerous situation.

What feelings and attitudes does George Orwell show in Animal Farm?

A lot can be said about what Orwell believes, thinks, and intimates.  However, if I had to choose one point, I would say that Orwell sees the hypocrisy of Napoleon, Animal Farm, and communism. 

Hypocrisy runs throughout the novel.  In the beginning we see this in Squealer's speech as he tries to justify why the pigs stole the milk and apples.  The pigs did not do this for their own gain.  In fact, the pigs actually don't like milk and apples.  They only eat and drink, because it is good for their brains.  In other words, they need apples and milk to protect the farm from Mr. Jones. 

Later Squealer will say the same thing. Leadership is a burden for Napoleon.  So, the only reason why he does it is out of the goodness of his heart. 

We see the same logic in the slogan - all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others. 

Finally, we see the hypocrisy come to life when Napoleon turns into a man. Hypocrisy can only be concealed for so long. 

What is the meaning of the poem "July in Washington" by Robert Lowell?

The meaning of the poem "July in Washington" by American poet Robert Lowell is that the natural beauty of the area is in sharp contrast to what really sometimes goes on in Washington as pertains to politics. Washington is here likened to a wheel whose spokes reach out to “the sore spots of the earth.” In essence, policies in Washington set down by political parties and their respective politicians, affect and influence what goes on in other parts of the world. This is concerning U.S. foreign policy.

The attractiveness of Washington in July is the actions of otters and raccoons as they go about their daily business. The physical environment of Washington is beautiful. In addition, there is majestic beauty in the green statues on the circles; these "ride like South American liberators above the breeding vegetation..."

However, the tone of the poem changes when Lowell talks about politicians. He notes they arrive in Washington as newbies, fresh and idealistic so-to-speak. They have good intentions to be catalysts of positive change to serve their jurisdictions well. In the end, though, Lowell says that they "die disheveled and soft.”

In other words, through corruption, or through not pursuing their ideals vigorously, or through grid-lock, or party-politics, they cannot do what they originally intended to do and they become defeated politicians with no significant accomplishments. They have not served their country as a whole well, nor their constituents.

Lowell states, in effect, that there are too many of these politicians to name, they are numerous, “like rings on a tree." He states that people wish there was another purer and true Washington on another shore of the Potomac. He states that it wouldn’t take much urging for people to go to that Washington.  So, fundamentally, this is a political poem about the malaise in Washington.

What is a character analysis of Buddy in "A Christmas Memory"?

As you read Truman Capote’s retrospective short story “A Christmas Memory,” you will find an adult Buddy looking back at his life as a seven year old child. As a child, Buddy is a compassionate soul who befriends his child-like sixty year old cousin. Together they make a life of adventures and traditions. Buddy is a sensitive child who cries when some of the other relatives get involved. For the most part he complies with his cousin’s wishes and assists her as they endeavor to keep the tradition of making their annual Christmas fruitcakes. He does not speak of playing with other children but does say that he likes to attend movies. This seems to be the one thing that indicates his need for contact with the outside world.

When his cousin is reprimanded for giving him some of the leftover whiskey, Buddy is the one to comfort her, showing how compassionate he was even at the young age of seven. When he is sent off to military boarding school he stays in touch with her through letters. Although he never sees her again, upon her death he feels like a piece of himself is missing. In keeping with their tradition of flying kites, he speaks of expecting to see two kites flying heavenward as he trudges across the school grounds. He is heartbroken by her passing, which indicates the deep bond he formed with her.

How is Return on Investment calculated?

Return on Investment, or ROI, is simply the amount of money you profit from the investment, divided by the amount you had to invest in order to get that profit.

Since the profit is equal to the amount gained minus the amount spent, ROI can be calculated using this formula:

ROI = (Gain - Cost)/(Cost)

For example, if you spent $120,000 buying an asset that you later sold for $140,000, this would be your ROI:

ROI = ($140k - $120k)/($120k) = 20/120 = 16.7%

ROI does not take into account the time that the investment takes to mature, but this is often very important for real-world investments. Earning 7% in only 1 year may be better than earning 15% in 3 years, since the 1-year investment could be spent or reinvested in the meantime.

A better assessment of the true value of an investment is generally found using Net Present Value (NPV) or Real Rate of Return (RRR).

Why is Lord Capulet reluctant to accept Paris's offer to marry Juliet in Romeo and Juliet?

Lord Capulet is initially reluctant to accept Paris's proposal that he marry Juliet because he feels his daughter is too young to marry. Capulet suggests the proposal of marriage be delayed for two years so Juliet has more time before she becomes a bride.

My child is yet a stranger in the world.

She hath not seen the change of fourteen years.

Let two more summers wither in their pride

Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride (Act II, Scene 1, lines 8-11).

This conversation with Paris puts Lord Capulet in a difficult situation because Paris is related to Prince Escalus, and the Prince of Verona recently threatened Capulet's life if he continues to feud with the Montagues. Making the Prince's relative unhappy is risky for Capulet. 

Interesting, too, is that fact that in this situation the typically headstrong Lord Capulet is more reasonable and will not be easily swayed by Paris. Also, in this scene, Lord Capulet echoes Benvolio's earlier speech as he speaks with Romeo about not rushing into relationships with women. It is certainly ironic, then, when a seemingly impulsive Capulet later insists his daughter Juliet marry Paris soon after Tybalt's death.

Not all politicians supported Vietnam. What reasons did they give?

After the Gulf of Tonkin Incident allegedly occurred, President Johnson asked Congress for power to deal with the situation. While there was conflicting information about whether the incident actually occurred, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution by a vote of 504-2 that gave President Johnson the power to do whatever he needed to do to deal with this incident. There were reasons why there were two senators that voted against the resolution.

Wayne Morse and Ernest Gruening voted against the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. Part of the objection centered around the idea that Congress was violating the Constitution by surrendering its power to go to war when it gave President Johnson the full authority to handle the situation. They believed Congress should be involved in going to war. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution eroded and/or gave away that power. This went against the checks and balances concept established by the Constitution. There also was the chance that the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution allowed for the possibility of this conflict lasting a long time with the taxpayers having to pay for the cost of our involvement. There was also a concern if we could win in Vietnam because this conflict was going to be a different kind of conflict than we were used to fighting. This was going to be a guerilla style war, and there was a concern if we could be successful fighting this kind of war in a jungle-like area.

While most politicians voted for the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, there were two senators that didn’t support it.

What are some famous words from A Christmas Carol?

Tiny Tim's words are the most famous in the story.

The most famous words in this novella are probably Tiny Tim’s blessing to his family.

“A Merry Christmas to us all, my dears. God bless us!”

Which all the family re-echoed.

“God bless us every one!” said Tiny Tim, the last of all. (Stave 3)

Tiny Tim makes this blessing during Christmas dinner at the Cratchit house.  The Cratchit family is poor, but happy in that they have each other.  This is a stark contrast to Scrooge, who does not have anyone. Scrooge watches the family gathering and begins to feel sorry for Tim, who is crippled and will die if no intervention is taken.  The family just doesn’t have the resources to care for him.  The Cratchits toast Scrooge, at Bob’s insistence, but it is this blessing from little Tim that melts Scrooge’s heart.

Another famous message also has to do with helping the poor.  Scrooge is faced with the Ghost of Christmas Present and two children, Ignorance and Want.  Scrooge earlier insisted that the poor should go to the government for charity.  After he is faced with his own past and sees how he affects the lives of others, he relents.  He asks whose children they are.

“They are Man’s,” said the Spirit, looking down upon them. “…This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased. Deny it!” (Stave 3)

This is a moving speech, because it reminds the reader that we are responsible for all human beings, and especially our children.  While poverty is terrible, the real threat comes from lack of education and understanding.  Scrooge realizes this too, and when he returns to the real world he makes a big contribution to the poor.

Even people who have never read A Christmas Carol know who Tiny Tim is, and can quote his famous line.  In personifying the fate of the poor with one cute little crippled boy, Dickens reminded us all of our humanity.  People could not longer ignore the children they passed on the street, because now it was Tiny Tim they saw, not the anonymous masses.

Why do only males have Adam's apples? What is the origin of the phrase?

The physical feature in a man's throat known as the "Adam's Apple" is a large, raised protrusion about halfway from the jaw to the bottom of the neck.  It is a protective cartilage that shields and protects the larynx, or vocal cords.  When a boy starts puberty, all types of hormones start affecting different parts of the body.  One of those parts is the larynx.  The vocal cords start to grow larger and lengthen out, which ultimately will give the developing young man a deeper voice.  This enlargement of the vocal cords and cartilage cause some difficulty for the emerging young man to master his new voice.  This physical feature is more pronounced in men because men have more muscle mass.  Another reason is the angle at which the two bands of cartilage join together.  In men, a sharper angle of 90 degrees causes the cartilage to bulge, whereas in women, a more relaxed angle of 120 degrees produces a more subdued look.

The origin of the phrase, "Adam's Apple," stems from the story of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden.  Evidently, when Adam took a bite of the forbidden fruit, supposedly an apple, a piece of it lodged in his throat.  It is interesting to note there is no specific mention in the Bible of the fruit type, much less it becoming stuck in the first man's throat.  That is the popular story, however, behind the origination of the term, "the Adam's Apple."

Explain what Albany says at the end of King Lear.

Albany's final speech makes up the last four lines of the play. With almost all of the play's major figures, barring himself, Kent, and Edgar, dead, Albany says:

The weight of this sad time we must obey;
Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say.
The oldest hath borne most: we that are young
Shall never see so much, nor live so long.

The first two lines are fairly self-explanatory. He seems to mean that the situation requires a certain amount of seriousness, gravity, and honesty. However, the second part is more difficult, because we don't know exactly who he is talking about when he says "the oldest". He could be talking about Lear, who has just died of grief and strain over the lifeless body of Cordelia, or he could be referring to Kent himself, who has just implied that he, too, will die soon. By "bourne most," he means "suffered most," and obviously both men have suffered a lot in the play. The scholars who argue that he was referring to Kent say that his statement was a direct response to the old man, who, as mentioned above, has just said that he is about to die:

I have a journey, sir, shortly to go;
My master calls me, I must not say no.

Albany's response in this context would mean something like this: "You are the oldest, and you have been through things that even younger men like us could not bear." 

In Dubus's Killings, what moral conflicts does Matt battle?

Moral conflicts have to do with a person's inner struggles (inner conflicts) with what they believe to be the difference between right and wrong. People also have inner conflicts when they argue with themselves about an issue and what to do to solve it. Matt Fowler knows that killing is wrong, but after his son Frank is gunned down, the repercussions are more than he can bear. For example, his wife sees the murderer, Richard Strout, around town because he's out on bail. Matt is upset that his wife doesn't feel comfortable to venture out into her own town because she's afraid she'll see her son's killer. Matt says to Willis, "She can't even go out for cigarettes and aspirin. It's killing her."

Willis asks his friend how often he thinks about the murder and the weight of it on his wife's shoulders. Matt responds that it is interrupting both his and his wife's life. So, the dilemma is how to go back to living a normal life with the killer living in such close proximity to one's family--kill the guy?

Another moral conflict that Matt faces is the fact that his son Frank was dating Mary Ann, Strout's wife, while the couple was estranged but not divorced. His wife tells him, "She's not divorced, yet," but he tells her that he sees Frank's dating Mary Ann as a "positive thing." Since she married a jerk, and Frank is making her happy, the situation is good all around. Matt's wife Ruth asks him to talk to Frank about it, and he does, but he doesn't convince his son to stop seeing the married woman. Had he been successful with that, maybe Frank would still be alive. During these flashbacks, Matt struggles with whether or not it was fine for Frank to be seeing a married woman. 

What's interesting with this story, though, is how Matt does not struggle with the final decision to kill Strout. Sure, Matt thinks about the wife, children and mistress who will mourn Strout's life, but that isn't enough to deter him once he makes his mind up. Matt takes no pity on him when Strout tries to explain why he killed Frank; he doesn't even flinch when he lies to Strout about relocating him to another town out west; and he doesn't think twice when Strout tries to run and he systematically unloads a few bullets.

Why does Morocco not choose the lead casket in "The Merchant of Venice"?

The Prince of Morocco has two objections to the lead casket when it comes time for him to make his choice in Act 2. The lead casket’s inscription says that anyone who chooses it “must give and hazard all he hath”, and Morocco immediately decides that the risk is not worth it: “Must give – for what? For lead? Hazard for lead?” Like many characters in the play, Morocco is used to sizing up investment risks, and this looks like a bad deal. He also doubts that a prize as valuable as Portia could be contained in a worthless metal box – he puts a lot of value on appearances (he even immediately makes apologies for his skin color on his first entrance, a telling moment in a play obsessed with race and pedigree) and believes that appearances offer reliable clues about worth. The casket puzzle is designed to weed out exactly that kind of appearance-based, investment-obsessed thinking, and it weeds out Morocco very quickly.

What delicate issues are at the very top of Claudius' agenda for the meeting of his court in Hamlet?

At the beginning of Act I, scene ii, the audience hears Claudius address his court with some sensitive issues. First, he must address the death of his brother, the previous king. He basically admits that everyone "must bear our hearts in grief." However, as a king, he must also move the country forward, for the country's safety, but also for his own.

He turns to announcing his marriage to Gertrude, his former sister-in-law, by presenting it as a mere fact spurred on by a need to make the country seem unified against impending the war. Fortinbras, prince of Norway, has, according to Claudius, expressed a "weak supposal of our worth / or thinking by our late dear brother's death / our state to be disjoint and out of frame." He uses this fear to smooth over any doubts surrounding the quick marriage. In addition, he sends ambassadors to attempt to reach a truce.

Finally, Claudius must grant permission for Laertes and Hamlet to return to school. Laertes is given permission, but Hamlet is not. Claudius feels he must keep Hamlet close to watch his behavior, which he calls "unmanly" and "a fault to heaven."

Claudius uses this platform to attempt to assert his ability as a king and throw off the suspicion of the murder.

How might Cherry falling in love with Dally benefit either of them?

In Chapter 3, Cherry says that she could fall in love with Dally and hopes she never sees him again because she will fall for him. This comment stuns Ponyboy and forces him to take a closer look at Dally. In Chapter 4, Ponyboy studies Dally and attempts to see why Cherry is attracted to him. Pony mentions that Dally could never love her back because the fight for self-preservation hardened him beyond caring. In Chapter 8, Cherry explains to Ponyboy why she could not visit Johnny in the hospital. She then tells Pony that he only saw Bob Sheldon's ugly side and says that he was actually a sweet guy. Pony then realizes that Cherry saw the same things in Dally.

In my opinion, Dally and Cherry would both benefit from being in a relationship together. Cherry would care for Dally and bring out the best in him. Dally would probably become a more sensitive individual knowing that there was someone who truly cared about him. Cherry would also discourage Dally's violent behavior which might have a positive influence on his actions. Cherry would also benefit from having an authentic person in her life. Dally is not superficial like most people Cherry knows and he would bring joy to her life. 

Has anyone taken really hard, yet basic, American history quizzes?

There are some quizzes on this site that I have written. These are tests/quizzes that I used to give my students. They are broken into five question segments. These tests/quizzes cover the main ideas for the topic indicated on the test or quiz. Feel free to look at them to get an idea of how to answer these questions. They may even cover the same topic or topics you are studying.

When taking an American history test, you hopefully are given a study guide by your teacher. Be sure to know the information that is on the study guide. It is very likely much if not all of that information will be on the test. If you have an essay or short answer section, try to look for the main themes or ideas covered by the question. Be sure to support your points with solid evidence and facts. Spread your studying over several nights. Avoid trying to study it all the night before the test or quiz. The more review you do, the more you will remember and learn the information.

For true/false questions, be careful of any questions that use the words always or never. Those questions are usually answered as false. Also, be sure to read the question completely. Go with your first instinct if you have any doubt about the answer. Don’t overthink the question. If you have any doubt about what the teacher is asking or about what the question is requiring, be sure to ask for clarification.

Go look on your tests and quizzes.

How does the mother's reproach in "Two Kinds" surprise the daughter?

When the daughter in the Amy Tan short story "Two Kinds" plays the piano badly at the talent show, her mother does not say anything right away. Instead, the mother wears "a quiet, blank look that said she had lost everything" (page numbers vary by edition). After they arrive home, the mother does not accuse or blame the daughter, though the daughter wishes she would so that she can start to cry and blame her mother for her failure. Instead, the mother simply turns off the TV at 4 o'clock and reminds the daughter that it's time to practice the piano. The daughter reacts angrily, and even says that she wishes she were not the mother's daughter.

The mother's reproach surprises the daughter because the daughter expects blame and castigation. Instead, the mother quietly insists that the daughter continue to practice. All along, the mother has only wanted the daughter to show hard work, while the daughter feels like the mother expects perfection from her. 

From what point of view is James Thurber's story "The Catbird Seat" told?

The point of view in "The Catbird Seat" is very definitely that of Mr. Martin, head of the filing department for a big corporation. James Thurber focuses intently on Martin's perceptions and mental processes. This narrative style is called "Third person, subjective" or "Third person, limited." The whole plot depends on what Martin is observing, thinking, feeling, suspecting, planning, and doing.

Martin seems like a very lonely and isolated man. He lives for his work and he loves his filing department. He is quick to realize that Mr. Fitweiler's new assistant, who has been creating havoc by reorganizing other departments, now has her eye on his. This makes him decide to kill her. We are in his point of view as he reviews his case against her and as he makes plans to commit her murder. Then we are in his point of view when he is at her apartment and changes his plans radically. Instead of killing her, he will make her believe he is a deranged dope fiend who plans to kill their boss Mr. Fitweiler. It is interesting to see how Thurber retains Martin's point of view when Mrs. Barrows goes into Mr. Fitweiler's office next morning to report Martin's outrageous behavior.

Mr. Martin got to the office at eight-thirty the next morning, as usual. At a quarter to nine, Ulgine Barrows, who had never before arrived at work before ten, swept into his office. "I'm reporting to Mr. Fitweiler now!" she shouted. "If he turns you over to the police, it's no more than you deserve!" Mr. Martin gave her a look of shocked surprise. "I beg your pardon?" he said....Forty-five minutes later, Mrs. Barrows left the president's office and went into her own, shutting the door. It wasn't until half an hour later that Mr. Fitweiler sent for Mr. Martin.

Although she spent forty-five minutes telling Mr. Fitweiler about Martin's visit last night, not a word of what either the president or his assistant said is recorded in the text. This is because Mr. Martin is not inside the office with them, and the author stays strictly in one point of view. We know pretty well what Ulgine Barrows must be saying, because we observed the whole scene at her apartment through Martin's point of view. 

As Mr. Martin anticipated, their boss thinks the woman has gone crazy. She is describing the most quiet, studious, polite man in the organization as a dope addict and a potential killer. When Martin is called into the boss's office, his customary respectful and humble manner convinces Fitweiler that Ulgine Barrows must be suffering from hallucinations as a result of a nervous breakdown. Then she bursts into the office and consummates her own overthrow by her accusations of Martin and her verbal abuse of their employer.

"You drank and smoked at my apartment," she bawled at Mr. Martin, "and you know it! You called Mr. Fitweiler an old windbag and said you were going to blow him up when you got coked to the gills on your heroin!"...."Can't you see how he has tricked us, you old fool? Can't you see his little game?"

All of this, of course, is seen and heard through Mr. Martin's point of view. No one else but the reader will ever know what went on in Martin's mind. Ulgine Barrows suspects she has been tricked, but she doesn't really understand how it all happened. During her outburst in Mr. Fitweiler's office she tells Martin:

"If you weren't such a drab, ordinary little man," she said, "I'd think you'd planned it all. Sticking your tongue out, saying you were sitting in the catbird seat, because you thought no one would believe me when I told it! My God, it's really too perfect!"

What consonant sound appears in every line of the poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"?

The consonant sound of the letter "s" is in every line. This is often called sibilance. In this poem, the sibilance creates a swooshing sound similar to a sleigh, or wind in the trees—think of the hushed sounds you have heard while alone in the snow. This brings up Frost's use of the "w" sound as well. It is not in every line, but when it is prevalent, it creates a certain mellow, calm mood. "W" is a "glide," and glides often flow into a vowel sound. The glides are easy and flow gently. However, friction begins to form in the second stanza as harder consonants are used. These hard consonants trip up the tongue, and I'm sure that Frost included these harder consonants is to show the struggle that exists below the gentle surface of this poem. The consonant sounds, along with a close reading of the setting and imagery, create the depth of this poem. Think about times when you have wanted to be alone in the woods; now couple that emotion/mood with the symbolism of the woods being the unknown or the subconscious. 

In Walk Two Moons, why doesn't Sal's dad wear work gloves?

Sal tells us this story in Chapter 18, titled “The Good Man.” Here she talks a lot about her father. When she and her parents lived on the farm in Bybanks, Kentucky, her father enjoyed doing the work around the place. He was at home there. He felt more connected to the earth whenever he touched it with his own hands, without interference from any kind of material that was supposed to “protect” him from it. As a result, he chose not to wear gloves. Sal also tells us her father missed this kind of work when they moved to Ohio, after her mother left for Idaho. He got an office job in Euclid. Sal wasn’t the only one who had to adjust to a new place and a new way of living after the move north.

What are some highlights of the book Calico Joe?

There are several highlights to John Grisham's first novel about baseball.

The first is Grisham's love for the game. He's a longtime fan, and dreamed of being a major league player when he was a kid.

His knowledge of baseball comes through in his choice of subjects. Ever since Ray Chapman was killed by a pitch, fans have known just how risky it is for batters to face pitches thrown at major league speed. That's what happens to Calico Joe Castle, who the novel is built around. So, the first highlights are knowledge and love.

As far as the content, the main highlight are the relationships in the novel (between father and son, and Joe's relationship with the community), the moral quality of the book, and way you sympathize with Calico Joe's dreams and disappointment.

Indicate two horizons of expectation in Susan Glaspell's Trifles.

"Horizon of expectation" refers to the context in which the reader or viewer reads or views a literary work or play. In Susan Glaspell's short play Trifles, readers can have one horizon of expectation if they read it from a modern perspective and another if they read it from the perspective of the time period in which it was written and first performed, that is, 1916.

Readers who read the play from a 2016 perspective may feel shocked and appalled that Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters would withhold evidence from a criminal case in order to protect another woman. Readers might believe this shows women as being more emotional and less committed to the laws of society. They might take offense that the play unrealistically portrays women who cannot perform investigative work with the same level of detachment and professionalism that men can show. They might draw the conclusion that Glaspell is sexist in her depiction of women.

On the other hand, readers who read the play with an understanding of the era in which it was written, especially knowing that women did not serve on juries in 1916 in most places in the United States, might find this play to be a noteworthy work of feminism. If readers were aware of the companion short story that Glaspell wrote entitled "A Jury of Her Peers," they might consider the fact that Mrs. Wright was going to be subjected to trial before an all-male jury, one that would most likely not be sympathetic toward the emotional and physical abuse Mrs. Wright had received from her husband. Such readers might also take into account the fact that during the early 20th century, resources to help battered women were not readily available and that Mrs. Wright lived in an isolated world at the mercy of her husband. The mockery and belittling that Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale receive from the men in the play would be seen as confirmation that women in that era were generally undervalued and did not receive justice in their daily lives, let alone in a court of law. All these factors might lead a reader with such a context to believe that the women did the right thing to withhold evidence since Mrs. Wright was unlikely to receive a fair trial and these women did not want to heap further injustice on a woman who had suffered so much injustice already. In this context, readers might applaud Glaspell for presenting a portrait of two brave women who act on a higher level of morality than the laws of their country enforce. To these readers, this work would be seen as a call to change society to grant equal rights under the law to women.

Depending on one's horizon of expectation, Trifles can be either a sexist or a feminist work. 

In To Kill a Mockingbird, how is Tom Robinson's appeal discussed?

After the trial, Tom Robinson was sent to Enfield Prison Farm, where he was to be held until a higher court reviewed his case. Atticus believed that Robinson had a good chance of going free, or at least of having a new trial (250). 

Of course, even if he got a new trial, winning would still be a challenge. As it turns out, though, he never made it that far. In Chapter 24, during Aunt Alexandra's Missionary Tea meeting, Atticus comes home, apparently disturbed, long before his workday is over (and knowing that it's a Missionary Tea day, he'd normally stay until much later), and asks for Alexandra and for Calpurnia. He explains that Tom is dead. He'd broken and run for the fence and had been shot dead before he'd managed to get over it. 

Is lifting the top to a paint can a first, second, or third class lever?

Lifting the lid of a can of paint (with a screwdriver, or other similar solid rod) is an example of a first class lever. Levers are one of the simple machine types known since ancient times.

Levers are defined as first, second, or third class depending on where the fulcrum (the pivot point around which the lever operates) is in relation to the load (the thing we are trying to move) and the effort (where we exert force on the lever). Lifting a paint can lid uses a first class lever because the lid being lifted (the load) is at one end of the lever, the fulcrum (in this case the edge of the paint can) is in the middle) and the force (a person pushing down on the screwdriver outside of the paint can) is at the other end. A seesaw is another example of a first class lever.

Second class levers have the fulcrum at one end, and the effort at the other, with the load in between. Wheelbarrows and staplers are examples.

Third class levers have the fulcrum at one end, the load at the other, and the effort in between. An example for this type is use of a fishing pole. 

See the link below for diagrams that will help you to understand the differences.

From Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, how does Jem treat Scout, and how does this treatment show his maturity?

Jem is a good big brother who looks after and takes care of his little sister. It is interesting though, that over the course of the book, which encompasses about two years, Jem goes from telling Scout basically to stop being a girl to telling her to act like one. The following passage is when she challenges Jem to go back to the Radley house to get the tire she had left there:

"I swear, Scout, sometimes you act so much like a girl it's mortifyin'" (38).

Then, after Aunt Alexandra has come to stay with the Atticus and the kids to help them with their upbringing. Scout doesn't agree with her aunt and doesn't like her much, either. Jem counsels her by saying,

"You know she's not used to girls, . . . least ways not girls like you. She's trying to make you a lady. Can't you take up sewin' or something'?" (225).

Jem's growth in maturity is easily seen between these two comments that he makes to his sister. It also shows how his perception of her changes throughout the book. He starts to understand that she should be learning to act like his aunt and not like him and the other boys.

At other times, Jem takes care of Scout without question and even tells her not to worry. During the night when Miss Maudie's house burns down, Jem is told to watch her, so he stands with her next to the Radley house watching the fire. He notices that Scout is really worried and he says the following:

"Don't worry, Scout, it ain't time to worry yet, . . . Looka yonder" (70).

Jem goes on to teach Scout that she will know when to worry by the actions of her father. At the fire, Atticus had his hands in his pockets and remained calm. Whenever Jem got scared, he looked to see how his father was acting and was able to calm down and not worry. This scene shows Jem both mature and loving towards his sister. Sure, they get in fights and arguments like siblings do, but for the most part, Jem is a good, mature and loving brother.

In The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, how does Lt. Kotler abuse his power?

Lieutenant Kurt Kotler is one of  the soldiers at Auschwitz who has sworn allegiance to the Nazi party. Throughout the book, the author shows us how evil operates through an ordinary person such as Kotler, and how this evil manifests itself in the abuse of power. 

Kotler, a young soldier, treats the Jews as sub-human, calling them names and treating them as slaves. Throughout the book, Kotler uses his position of power as a Lieutenant in abusive ways. Bruno first recognizes Kotler’s insolence when Kotler takes away Bruno’s book Treasure Island and waves it in front of Bruno in an effort to anger him. Bruno justifiably dislikes Kotler, as we begin to see his treatment of others.

Throughout the book, Kotler appears to be a bigger and bigger bully. One day, Bruno observes him coldly shooting a stray dog. He also notices how Kotler bullies Pavel, calling him names and eventually beating him for spilling wine. Shmuel is familiar with Kotler’s abuse, as he is beat until bruised after there is evidence that he has befriended Bruno.

Kotler ultimately faces his downfall when he is questioned about his father’s activities in leaving the country when it was illegal to do so. Bruno is pleased with it, but notices that his mother is unhappy, judging from her arguments with his father.

During the trial Scene of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, what symbols represent Atticus Finch and why?

A symbol is any object used by an author to represent greater meaning than just the literal meaning of the object. In the court scene of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, beginning at Chapter 17, it can be said that one symbol representing Atticus is his fountain pen.

During Atticu's cross-examination of Bob Ewell, Atticus first asks Ewell if he concurs with Sheriff Heck Tate's statement that Mayella was bruised on the right side of her face. After Ewell concurs, Atticus next asks Ewell if he can read and write then hands him an envelope and his fountain pen, asking him to write his name. As Ewell does so, he writes with his left hand, and when Judge Taylor asks him if he is ambidextrous, Ewell intelligently replies, "I most positively am not, I can use one hand good as the other" (Ch. 17). Whereas Atticus has just proven Ewell can use his left hand, he later proves it is impossible for the accused Tom Robinson to be able to use his crippled left arm and hand at all. The information is important because only a man who could use his left hand would be able to bruise Mayella on the right side of her face while facing her. The fact that Ewell can use his left hand whereas Robinson cannot shows that Ewell is the more likely guilty culprit of having hurt Mayella, not Robinson.

A commonly known adage, meaning philosophical saying is, "The pen is mightier than the sword," an idea that appears in a play titled Richelieu; Or the Conspiracy, written by English playwright Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1839. The adage asserts that our ability to write or use words is much more powerful for effecting change than our ability to use physical force or violence. During the trial, Atticus is very limited in his abilities to effect change since the outcome of the trial depends on the jury, and the jury members, like most of Maycomb's citizens, are very accustomed to judging based on their racial prejudices. Therefore, though he certainly cannot force the jury to make a fair and unbiased ruling based on the evidence, he has the ability to present evidence to the jury using the power of his words. Therefore, Atticus's fountain pen handed to Ewell symbolizes Atticus's power to use words to make a difference.

The mass number of an atom equals to the number of _____________ and ________________ .

The mass number is equal to the sum of the number of protons and neutrons located within the nucleus of an atom.

An atom is made of three subatomic particles. The subatomic particles that make up an atom are protons, neutrons, and electrons.

Each subatomic particle has a different charge. Protons are positively charged. Neutrons are neutrally charge.

Electrons are negatively charged. Subatomic particles are also found in distinct locations within an atom. As mentioned above, protons and neutrons are located in the central nucleus of an atom. Electrons are thought to travel around the nucleus in either electron clouds or orbitals.

Finally, each type of subatomic particle has a characteristic mass. Protons and neutrons are each accredited with having a mass of 1.0 amu (atomic mass unit). Electrons have a mass of only .00054 amu. Thus, the mass from electrons is usually not represented in the mass of an atom. Therefore, the mass number of an atom is essentially the mass of that atom.

What are five traits of the narrator in "The Signal-Man"?

The narrator in "The Signal-Man" is never directly described in the text but, by analysing his behaviour and conversation, we can learn much about his character. 

First of all, the narrator is a curious kind of person. It is his curiosity which prompts his first meeting with the signalman, for example, and his desire to know about the signalman's troubles encourages him to return on the next night. 

Secondly, the narrator is skeptical towards the supernatural. When the signalman confesses that he has seen a ghost, for example, the narrator responds with a number of possible explanations. This reaction demonstrates another of his character traits, namely that he is a rational man. The ghost, for instance, is explained as a "deception of sight," caused by a "disease of the delicate nerves" of the signalman's eye. Similarly, the narrator explains the "imaginary cry" as nothing more than a murmur caused by the telegraph wires.

Fourthly, we learn from the text that the narrator is not accustomed to being in a signal box. Whatever he does for a living, it certainly has nothing to do with transport. This is apparent from the way that the narrator describes the signal box; it is a gloomy and depressing "dungeon" which has an earthly smell and stifling atmosphere. In other words, it represents another world to the narrator.

Finally, the narrator is characterised as a judgmental person. While commenting on the signalman's conduct, for example, the narrator says that he is "remarkably exact and vigilant." But, in the next paragraph, the narrator shows himself to be judgmental when he comments on two minor flaws in the signalman's discharge of duty: 

While he speaking to me, he twice broke off with a fallen colour, turned his face towards the little bell when it did NOT ring, opened the door of the hut...and looked out towards the red light.

In Harper Lee's To kill a Mockingbird, how does Dill rescue Jem from Atticus finding out the truth about what happened to Jem's pants?

In Chapter 6 of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, on Dill's last night in Maycomb for the summer, Jem and Dill decide to sneak on to the Radleys' property to try and get a glimpse of Arthur (Boo) Radley through a window, and they drag a reluctant Scout with them. When shots are fired, the three children flee for their lives. During the escape, Jem gets his pants caught in the barbed wire fence and must abandon them to escape. However, once they escape and reach the front yard, they see Atticus and their neighbors gathered in front of the Radleys' gate. Jem knows they must talk to them or look guilty, which means Jem must show up in front of neighbors without his pants on, and Dill must find a way to cover for him.

When Jem and the other two children approach their gathering of neighbors to ask what happen, Miss Stephanie is the first to notice Jem is not wearing any pants. When Atticus asks, "Where're your pants, son?," Dill, always a quick and imaginative thinker, is the first to be able to invent an excuse to help Jem save face:

Ah--I won 'em from him ... We were playin' strip poker up yonder by the fishpool. (Ch. 6)

Though Atticus believes the story, the negative side to the event is that the story infuriates Dill's aunt, Miss Rachel. Regardless, Atticus is able to pacify Miss Rachel by ensuring it wasn't a serious issue, just a phase all children go through, which prevents Dill from getting into trouble.

What do you think of when you think of the short story, The Lottery?

When I think of the short story "The Lottery," by Shirley Jackson, I think of the people standing and waiting to hear their fate.  It reminds me of The Hunger Games scene where all of the people gather to hear who will be chosen to fight to the death in the current year's games.  Both sets of people are waiting with bated anxiety to hear what will happen to their families if they are chosen.  I cannot imagine hearing my family's name as in "The Lottery," knowing that one of us will die.  The worst part would be watching the people around me picking up stones, trying to find the best ones to throw and kill me or my child or my husband.  Hearing that other villages had already dispensed with this tradition would make it even worse.  Death is so final, and being stoned to death would be just plain awful, and yet we would have to wait to hear the name.

How do "Pleading Child" and "Perfectly Contented" have a double meaning in the story "Two Kinds"? What does the last sentence of the story mean?

The two songs and the last line of the story illustrate the same idea. "And after I had played them both a few times, I realized they were two halves of the same song." The two songs symbolize the two parts of Jing-mei's life and psyche. The title, "Two Kinds," also plays into this notion of the double. 

First of all, Jing-mei is a Chinese-American girl. Her mother has certainly embraced the American spirit, notably in pushing her daughter to pursue the American Dream. But her mother's Chinese culture, the parental pressuring, and the domineering nature that may come from that culture are present to Jing-mei as a child. Jing-mei must deal with this while trying to be more individually free. And this idea of individual freedom was more celebrated in America at this time. So, apropos of the "two kinds" theme, Jing-mei must negotiate two cultures as she matures. 

But in particular reference to the two songs, the "Pleading Child" represents the time Jing-mei was tested and forced to practice piano as a child. When Jing-mei is finally free from this discipline, she becomes more individually free and feels more like the "Perfectly Contented" child/woman. In the last line, Jing-mei realizes that these two songs/identities are both a part of her, and with that realization, she feels whole. Likewise, she is both Chinese and American. Although, by adulthood, she is probably more American in many ways, she still has elements of both cultures. She has this sense that her unified identity is a series of doubles: Chinese/American, Pleading/Contented, and Traditional/Individual. 

Frosty has a new pair of surfboards that are slippery. If Frosty’s mass is 50 kg and he moves on his surfboard at 25 m/s, what is needed to slow...

Hello!

I suppose Frosty slips without friction. In such a situation only two forces act on him, the gravity force downwards and the reaction force upwards. They are balanced and cannot stop him.

The only cause of velocity change of a body is a force (unbalanced). Suppose some constant force `F` will be applied to him in direction opposite to his movement. Then by the Newton's Second law he becomes to decelerate with the constant acceleration `a=F/m,` where `m` is the Frosty's mass.

For body moving straight with the initial velocity `V_0` and the constant (negative) acceleration `-a` its speed `V` may be found by the formula

`V(t)=V_0-a*t,`

where `t` is a time since the start. "Slow to a stop" means `V(t_1)=0,` so

`0=V_0-a*t_1,`

`V_0=a*t_1=(F/m)*t_1,`

therefore `F=V_0*m/t_1.` 

`V_0,` `m` and `t_1` are given, so we can compute `F.`  It is `25*50/20=62.5(N).`

The answer: a constant force of the magnitude 62.5 N and the opposite direction is needed to stop Frosty in 20 s.

From Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, what textual evidence would support Montag if he were to protest against censorship and book burning?

 If Montag from Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 were to protest against censorship and the laws against having books, he would need to show that the information in books doesn't hurt people. The society in which Montag lives believes that authors contradict each other and offer no help to anyone. It also believes that entertainment and fun are the only ways to achieve happiness. When a teenager, Clarisse, asks Montag if he is happy, this gets him to thinking if he actually is. When he discovers that he is not happy, he then feels as if something is missing from his life. Since the main things that are taken away from people are books, Montag wonders if they might be a source of happiness. His curiosity gets the better of him and submits to seeking out what books offer. Montag eventually discovers that books offer something more meaningful than TV, ideas that can teach life lessons, and a chance to discover one's inner workings of the mind.

First, one annoying aspect of this censored society is the fact that the radio and TV are the only source of ideas; and, in fact, those ideas lack substance. Montag describes it best by saying,

"Nobody listens anymore. I can't talk to the walls because they're yelling at me. I can't talk to my wife; she listens to the walls. I just want someone to hear what I have to say. And maybe if I talk long enough, it'll make sense" (82).

People who read and discuss ideas are those who discover more about the world around them and find out new ways to enrich their own lives. This could be the first of examples to protest censorship.

Next, Montag feels that something is lacking from life because "quality" of life is lacking. Faber explains it best with the following:

"Do you know why books such as this are so important? Because they have quality. And what does the word quality mean? To me it means texture. . . The book can go under the microscope. You'd find life under the glass, streaming past in infinite profusion" (83).

Finding life is the part of what helps people to endure it and this is what Faber is trying to teach.

Finally, after Montag runs away and meets Granger, the leader of the outside community, he learns that people didn't appreciate books like they should have, and that's one reason why they lost the use of them. Luckily, the people of this outside community have memorized books so they can be of some use to people when they are ready for it again. Montag reaches into Ecclesiastes, the book he memorized, and remembers this quote, which would also help with his protest:

"And on either side of the river was there a tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month; And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations" (165).

It's all about life. Books give life to the monotony of living. Without books, language and ideas are lost and only idleness and meaningless lives are the result.

What is the summary of Stave Four of A Christmas Carol?

Scrooge sees his future, but thinks it is the future of another man.

During Stave Four, Scrooge journeys with the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come in order to see the world after his death.  However, since Scrooge believes he is a changed man, he doesn’t realize that the man whose life he is seeing is him.  He thinks it is another unfortunate man whose miserable life he is seeing.

Scrooge begins by telling the ghost that he is most worried about this ghost.  He is dark and scary, with his features obscured, and doesn’t talk.

“Ghost of the Future!” he exclaimed, “I fear you more than any Spectre I have seen. But, as I know your purpose is to do me good, and as I hope to live to be another man from what I was, I am prepared to bear you company, and do it with a thankful heart. Will you not speak to me?” (Stave Four)

Scrooge is afraid of the ghost, because he is noncommunicative and looks spooky.  He also is worried about seeing his future.  He does not want to know what is going to happen to him in the future.  He tells the ghost that he will listen to him and pay attention to the visions he is shown so that he can learn from them.

As they continue through the future, Scrooge sees a group of businessmen who are discussing a man who has just died.  None of them are going to go to the funeral, and they are not really shaken up by his death.  Scrooge’s name is never mentioned.  He next sees two businessmen who very briefly discuss “Old Scratch” being dead, and the weather.   Scrooge wonders why the ghost is showing him such a trivial conversation.  He doesn’t understand that the ghost is showing him what a fleeting impression his death made on his fellow businessmen.

Next they go to a dark alley, in an area that “reeked with crime, with filth, and misery.”  Here Scrooge sees several household staff and an undertaker who have stolen from their employer.

“If he wanted to keep ’em after he was dead, a wicked old screw,” pursued the woman, “why wasn't he natural in his lifetime? If he had been, he’d have had somebody to look after him when he was struck with Death, instead of lying gasping out his last there, alone by himself.” (Stave Four)

They have taken his bedclothes, the curtains from his bed, his silver, and even the shirt he was supposed to be in.  Scrooge is horrified by what he sees, but it is too dark for him to recognize the items as his own. The woman’s point is a good one. If Scrooge had been a better person, he would not have died alone.

Scrooge acknowledges that the fate of the man whose things were stolen might have been his if he hadn’t changed.  In response, the ghost shows him a man on a bed, whom he is afraid to touch.  In terror, he asks to see emotion connected with the man’s death.  The ghost shows him two debtors that are thrilled that the man who lent them money died before they had to pay it back.  Scrooge is upset, and asks to see “tenderness connected with a death.”

As a result, Scrooge is taken to the Cratchits mourning Tiny Tim.  They are sad, but agree that they will stick together as a family and survive the tragic loss.  Scrooge is deeply affected, having asked the Ghost of Christmas Present if Tiny Tim would live and learning that if nothing changed, he would die.  That is the future Scrooge is seeing.

Scrooge asks to see the identity of the man whose life he has seen.  As a result, he is taken to his headstone.  He realizes that the man he has been seeing has been him.  It was his miserable future.  Scrooge tells the ghost that he will reform, and asks what the point of showing him these things is if he is past hope of being a better person.  He vows to keep Christmas in his heart. 

What news does the constable bring to the Fosters?

I initially thought that this question was an easy question to answer, but that's because I mixed up the constable and the man in the yellow suit.  Both characters bring news to the Foster family.  The man in the yellow suit brought the news that he knew where Winnie was.  That's what I initially thought that the question was asking about.  

It took me awhile to track down exactly when and where the constable actually spoke to the Foster family.  I believe that the question is asking about the news that the constable brought to the Fosters in chapter 21.  The reader hears the constable's news, because the reader is eavesdropping with Winnie on his conversation.  

She heard him saying, "So that's that, Mr. Foster. We can't press no kidnapping charges, since your little girl claims there wasn't no kidnapping. But it don't matter now, anyway. The doc just got back a few minutes ago. That feller—the one you sold your land to? He's dead." There was a pause, and the murmur of other voices; then a match striking, the acrid smell of fresh cigar smoke. "Yep, she got him a good one, all right. He never even come to. So it's an open-and-shut case, since I seen her do it. Eyewitness. No question about it. They'll hang her for sure."

Based on the above lines of text, the constable has brought three pieces of information to the Foster family.  The first piece of information is that the Foster family can't press kidnapping charges against the Tuck family, because Winnie claims that she was not kidnapped.  Winnie claims that she went on her own free will with the Tucks, because they are her friends.  

Winnie let go of Tuck's waist and turned around. Her trembling had stopped. "They didn't kidnap me," she said. "I came because I wanted to."

Behind her, Tuck drew his breath in sharply.

"You wanted to?" echoed the constable, his eyes wide with disbelief. "You wanted to?"

"That's right," said Winnie unflinchingly. "They're my friends."

The second piece of news is that the man in the yellow suit is dead.  That's good news to Mr. and Mrs. Foster, because the man in the yellow suit had blackmailed them into selling their land in the first place.  

"I've got what you want, and you've got what I want. Of course, you might find that child without me, but . . . you might not find her in time. So: I want the wood and you want the child. It's a trade. A simple, clear-cut trade."

Now they get to keep their woods.  The third piece of news is that the constable is certain that Mae Tuck will hang for killing the man in the yellow suit.  

What happens to Yitzchak in Chapter 19 of The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen?

Yitzchak is one of the male villagers taken with Chaya/Hannah to the concentration camp by the Nazis in 1942.  The simple answer to your question is that, according to Chapter 19, Yitzchack moves to Israel and devotes his life to the Israeli state; however, in order to understand what happens in Chapter 19, the reader has to understand what happens to Yitzchak in earlier chapters.  The reader should remember Yitzchak as the guest at dinner during Chapter 5 and as the man who attempts escape during Chapter 17.  He is also the father of little Reuven and Tzipporah (who are both killed in the gas chambers).  Yitzchak is part of the escape plot and is the only one who succeeds in escaping.  Hannah is told that Yitzchak only agrees to participate because, due to the death of his children, he “has nothing left.”  It gives Hannah a “measure of hope” when she notices that Yitzchak has escaped because she imagines him running through the forest to freedom.  It is at the end of the story, in Chapter 19, that Hannah’s Aunt Eva finally tells Hannah what happened to Yitzchack.  Yitzchak is one of the few Jewish people who survived the harrowing experience of the Nazi concentration camp.  Yitzchack moves to Israel and devotes himself to the creation of a Jewish state and serves in the Israeli senate.

What effect does the ghost of Christmas past have on Scrooge?

The first of the three spirits to visit Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is the Ghost of Christmas Past, who looks like a young person and an old man at the same time. The spirit takes Scrooge to several scenes of past Christmases, and several of those points affect Scrooge's view of himself and make him want to change his actions or attitudes. When he sees himself as a child at boarding school, left alone over the Christmas vacation, he wishes he had been kinder to the Christmas caroler who had come to his shop the previous evening. When he sees his sister, Fan, coming to pick him up another year to bring him home, it is implied that he may wish he treated his nephew, Fan's son, better when he invited him to Christmas dinner. The biggest effect on Scrooge in Stave Two is when he observes Fezziwig's festive employee Christmas celebration. The contrast between himself and his generous former employer is so stark that Scrooge wishes he "could say a word or two to my clerk just now," showing that he is having a change of heart about the way he treats Bob Cratchit. But when the spirit brings him to the scene of Belle breaking their engagement, and when it shows him Belle's happy life married to another man, Scrooge protests and finally responds with anger, trying to snuff the spirit out with his large cap. This shows that the changes that are taking place in Scrooge, although important, are not sufficient to help him truly "keep Christmas in his heart."

In Lord of the Flies, what are some important things that Samneric say or do?

One of the first places that Samneric emerge as important characters is atop the mountain. The twins are there tending the fire overnight when the fighter planes fight high above the island. One of the planes is destroyed and the dead pilot parachutes down to land on top of the mountain.  When Samneric see the body swaying in the wind, they think he is the beastie and they run down to tell the others about it.

 The twins also serve to demonstrate the power Jack eventually gains when he is able to command his followers to grab Samneric and tie them up, which they do. 

The twins play a prominent role once more when Ralph is trying to get away from Jack. They warn him and help him to escape.

How does Ralph betray himself in the Lord of the Flies?

In Lord of the Flies, Ralph betrays himself quite often throughout the novel.  This can be representative of the fact that he is struggling with how he should behave when the pressures of civilization are still weighing very heavily on him, and at the same time, so are the freedoms of their new life on the island. The first instance of Ralph's betrayal of himself occurs in chapter 4 when Jack smacks the glasses off of Piggy's face.  This is completely inappropriate behavior, and yet the boys think this is very funny. Ralph, representing the grown up, civilized authority on the island, does not want to laugh, but betrays himself when he smiles anyway.  

Piggy and the parody were so funny that the hunters began to laugh. Jack felt encouraged. He went on scrambling and the laughter rose to a gale of hysteria. Unwillingly Ralph felt his lips twitch; he was angry with himself for giving way.

The fact that Ralph feels anger at himself for giving way tells the reader that he did not simply break from anger into amusement, but rather he felt anger at Jack's behavior and amusement at Jack's behavior simultaneously.  This inner conflict indicates his betrayal of himself.

What is the significance of Montag seeing his reflection in Clarisse's eyes in Farenheit 451?

For one thing, this makes him recall a moment with his mother. When he was a child, the power had gone out and they were left with one candle and found themselves in an intimate moment of person-to-person communication and glances. In this society where people gave all of their attention to technological devices (parlour shows), such interaction would have been rare. Seeing himself in Clarisse's eyes makes him recall this idea of people interacting with one another and actually communicating. 

One time, when he was a child, in a power-failure, his mother had found and lit a last candle and there had been a brief hour of rediscovery, of such illumination that the space lost its vast dimensions and drew comfortably around them, and they, mother and son, alone, transformed, hoping that the power might not come on again too soon . . . 

A few pages later, Montag reflects some more upon the idea of Clarisse as a mirror. He tries to think about why this has affected him so much. He concludes: 

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

In Montag's experience, people do not listen to one another. They simply spew out their own (thoughtless) thoughts and these are usually selfish and/or without any genuine sense of empathy or consideration of the person he/she might be talking to. But Clarisse, being a thoughtful person, is considerate and empathetic. She throws a lot of questions at Montag because she is curious but she also wants to know about him. When she ends their conversation by asking if he is happy, Montag is confounded. He never gets this kind of depth and interest from his wife, Mildred. His conversations with Clarisse cause him to think more deeply about a lot of things and perhaps most significantly, these conversations implore him to evaluate himself. This is the manifestation of his idea that Clarisse was like a mirror because she has provoked him to reflect upon himself. 

What is a quotation from Rikki-tikki-tavi said by Rikki that shows he is brave?

Rikki shows he is brave when he goads Nagaina into fighting him after he kills Nag.

Rikki-tikki-tavi is brave because mongooses are too curious to be scared.  Speaking about Rikki, the narrator says:

It is the hardest thing in the world to frighten a mongoose, because he is eaten up from nose to tail with curiosity. The motto of all the mongoose family is "Run and find out''; and Rikki-tikki was a true mongoose. 

Rikki proves his bravery when he fights the snakes.  A snake and a mongoose are natural enemies, and they both know it.  Rikki was not frightened for long when Nag and Nagaina tried to kill him.

He was afraid for the minute; but it is impossible for a mongoose to stay frightened for any length of time, … and he knew that all a grown mongoose's business in life was to fight and eat snakes.

Thus in this altercation it seems as if the cobras are more frightened than Rikki.  Rikki shows he is not frightened by chiding Nag for eating baby birds.  After killing Nag, Rikki also chides Nagaina for not fighting.

"Yes, you will go away, and you will never come back; for you will go to the rubbish-heap with Nag. Fight, widow! The big man has gone for his gun! Fight!''

His intention is to get her away from the people, but he is clearly not afraid.  Rikki is willing to fight Nagaina even though he knows she is dangerous.  He got her off balance by killing her baby cobras in their eggs, but this also makes her mad with rage. To Rikki it matters not.  He also follows her down into her hole, even though he knows that it is dangerous for him there.  The point is to kill her, and he thinks nothing of the danger to himself.

In the story "The Gift of the Magi," what sort of flat do the Youngs live in?

The flat is a shabby, furnished flat on the second floor with at least two windows.

The Youngs are not a wealthy couple.  They rent a flat, which is equipped with a shabby couch.  All of their furniture is rented.  They pay $8 a week for the furniture and the flat.

While the mistress of the home is gradually subsiding from the first stage to the second, take a look at the home. A furnished flat at $8 per week. It did not exactly beggar description, but it certainly had that word on the lookout for the mendicancy squad.

“Mendicancy” means that they live like beggars, at least based on O’Henry’s analysis.  The sentence is a play on “beggar description.”  O’Henry is making a joke.  You can also tell that they are poor from the fact that the letter-box is too small for letters and the buzzer is broken.  James Young used to make $30 a week, and now he makes only $20, so the family has fallen on hard times.

We have a few little details throughout the story.  There is a “pier glass” between the windows of the room, which look out on a dull gray backyard.  Also, the flat is on the second floor.

We know that the Youngs are very young by the description of Jim.

The door opened and Jim stepped in and closed it. He looked thin and very serious. Poor fellow, he was only twenty-two--and to be burdened with a family! He needed a new overcoat and he was without gloves.

Despite the poverty, they want to buy good Christmas presents for each other.  Each of them gets creative and sells the only thing they have of value.  Jim sells his watch, and Della sells his hair.  They each buy each other luxurious gifts. Unfortunately, Della bought Jim a watch-band, and Jim bought Della combs for her hair.  

The irony is not lost of the Youngs, but they realize that the gifts demonstrate how much they love each other. You do not make a sacrifice like that unless you do.  Each gave up the possession he or she most valued to give the other a gift worthy of the person's inner beauty.

How many American shop owners are robbed each year?

In the US, there are about 325,000 robberies annually. Convenience store robberies account for 6% of these robberies, so that is about 19,500 convenience store robberies. There are over 135,000 convenience stores in the US and this number continues to grow. Convenience stores may be especially vulnerable to robberies because they are so common, they have large amounts of cash, usually low security, and very few staff. There are two types of robberies in convenience stores: straight and customer. A straight robbery is when a personal demands money immediately after entering a store. Customer robbery is when a customer demands money sometime after entering the store and during the time that they are making a purchase. In conclusion, although convenience store robberies make up a small percentage of all robberies in the United States, they are still detrimental to many people.

According to the dialogue in Chapter 1, where are Lennie and George going and why are they going there?

John Steinbeck called Of Mice and Men "a playable novel." He wrote it in such a way that it could be quickly and easily adapted into a stage play. He did this because he had an agreement to have the play produced in New York the same year the book came out, which was 1937, while America was still suffering from the Great Depression. In a stage play the exposition is necessarily conveyed to the audience through dialogue. That is why Steinbeck does the same thing with the book. George and Lennie do a lot of talking, but much of their dialogue is intended to convey information to the reader or to the theater audience. For example, George says:

"That ranch we're going to is right down there about a quarter mile. We're gonna go in an' see the boss. Now, look--i'll give him the work tickets, but you ain't gonna say a word. You jus' stand there and don't say nothing. If he finds out what a crazy bastard you are, we won't get no job, but if he sees ya work before he hears ya talk, we're set. Ya got that."

In this "playable novel" we learn about past, present and future through dialogue. Lennie got in trouble in Weed. He is retarded. They went to San Francisco and got "work tickets" from a hiring hall for unskilled laborers. They are on their way to the ranch south of Salinas where they have been sent. Steinbeck has George decide to camp by the river overnight mainly so that he can have the two men discuss their past, present and future in private. They will have little privacy once they get to the ranch. We will learn that Lennie assaulted a girl on the street in the town of Weed and that they had to flee for their lives with a mob of men chasing them. They have no money and are down to their last three cans of beans. They will be in a desperate plight in the future if they don't get the jobs at the ranch tomorrow.

Steinbeck intentionally created a mentally retarded character in Lennie because it made it plausible that George would do a lot of explaining to him, and in doing so he would be explaining a lot to the reader and to the future theater audience in New York. By the end of the first chapter we know nearly everything about these two men and their relationship. We know that they have a dream of owning a little subsistence farm so that they won't have to travel all over California like bums and work like slaves with no hope of improving their lives. 

Since George says that the ranch is only about a quarter of a mile from where they are camping, the setting of their campsite will give the reader a pretty good notion of the entire region. Later he will tell Lennie:

"I seen thrashin' machines on the way down. That means we'll be bucking grain bags, bustin' a gut."

The reader can picture vast fields of grain being harvested and crews of men loading heavy gunny sacks onto wagons under the hot sun. Such scenes are not actually depicted in the novel because they could not be shown in a stage play. Most of the action in both the novel and the play will take place in a bunkhouse or in a barn. The novel was subsequently adapted into two major motion pictures, and in both productions the filmmakers "opened up" the story to show big outdoor scenes of the lush California fields with the mountains in the background.

Discuss a significant decision made by a major company that has some ethical implications associated with it.

There are of course numerous examples to choose from. 

Most of the ethical decisions you'll hear about involving major corporations are bad: There's Enron's fraudulent accounting, HSBC's money laundering for terrorists, Ford concealing the hazards of the Pinto, and the collusion of several banks to manipulate the LIBOR, just to name a few.

But I'd actually like to take a different tack and talk about some major decisions by corporations that are not so bad, emphasizing the fact that ethical dilemmas arise in almost any large industry on a daily basis and can in fact be resolved well. Profits and ethics can sometimes come into conflict, but they are not inherently incompatible.

Morningstar Farms recently issued a voluntary recall of their Black Bean Burgers because they found traces of peanut in them which was not listed on the label.

I want to emphasize that they did not have to do this. It is not illegal to put peanuts in veggie burgers, and the fines for inaccurate labeling of this sort are quite small, especially when it is unintentional.

But Morninstar Farms knew that some of their customers might have peanut allergies, and would be harmed by the accidental peanut traces. They could have gone the way of Enron and Ford, run a cost-benefit analysis and decided that it was cheaper to risk the court cases than to recall the burgers; but they didn't. They saw the moral implications of risking harm to their customers, and refused to accept that outcome. They recalled the burgers, at great expense to themselves, in order to protect their customers from harm.

There are other examples of corporations making the morally right decision that I could talk about. There are always stories about health insurance companies not covering care people need---but we don't hear about the insurance companies that do cover people's care. There are always stories about the companies that pollute water, but never about companies like Pepsi that build clean-water infrastructure in Africa.

I don't mean to say that corporations are always sunshine and rainbows---they absolutely can do horrible things, and sometimes do. But I think we paint a distorted picture of the world when we only talk about the moral dilemmas that corporations get wrong. We should be trying to find out why some corporations make better decisions than others, in order to make more of the good ones and less of the bad ones.

How do I comment on Raghu's character in the "Games at Twilight" story by Anita Desai?

When a teacher asks you to "comment on a character," the teacher is asking you to describe the character.  It's a fairly open ended question, so you can comment on the character's physical appearance, personality, or both.  You could even describe whether or not you like the character and explain why.  

Raghu is the main antagonist of the story, at least according to Ravi.  One for sure thing that the reader knows about Raghu is that he is hairy.  It's brought up a few times actually.  

—but he hadn’t much faith in his short legs when matched against Raghu’s long, hefty, hairy footballer legs.

I also believe that Raghu is a fairly good athlete.  Ravi brings up the footballer thing twice, and the second time the reader learns that Raghu is a champion footballer.  His size isn't directly told to the reader, but I am under the impression that Raghu is a bigger kid than most, if not all, of the other kids.  He's faster than they are, and every time that Raghu moves, Ravi describes it like a lumbering ogre or giant.  

Ravi had a frightening glimpse of them as Raghu combed the hedge of crotons and hibiscus, trampling delicate ferns underfoot as he did so.

Lastly, I think Raghu is a jerk and bully.  He's not nice to other kids.  He's chosen to be "it," and the first thing that he does is complain and accuse everybody of cheating.  When he finds the first kid, Raghu calls him an "idiot."  Then, there is this description: 

. . . and then stalked off in search of worthier prey, whistling spiritedly so that the hiders should hear and tremble.

Obviously Raghu takes perverse pleasure in having the other kids be afraid of him.  That's what bullies are like. 

What is the significance of the role of the other characters in this poem, for example, the pale kings, princes and warriors?

The descriptions of the pale figures in Stanza 10 of this poem are images that help explain what the knight saw when the lady of the title brought him to her dwelling. The poem hints that she is of the "faery folk" because she is "a faery's child" and lives in an "elfin grot" or a grotto of the elves. The belief in faery races such as elves, faeries and gnomes is very strong in the British Isles, and many English, Irish and British poets feature these themes in their work (including, most famously, William Butler Yeats and Christina Rosetti). The pale figures are a harbinger of death and of the fate that awaits the knight who narrates the poem if he meets up with the lady again:

I saw pale kings and princes too,
       Pale warriors, death-pale were they all;
They cried—“La Belle Dame sans Merci
       Thee hath in thrall!”

They are warning the knight that the lady has seduced him, and his fate may be the same as theirs if he does not escape. The fact that strong and brave men (kings and warriors, etc.) have been led there to die means the lady's powers of seduction are great, and that once trapped in the faery realm it seems impossible to escape. They are described as having "starved lips" wide open with "horrid warning" and this seems to suggest a sort of wasting illness. The "starved" description is interesting as faery lore commonly says that eating the food or drink of faery realms makes the consumer lose track of time, sometimes for many years. Does "death-pale" mean they're dead? Possibly; the realm of faery is also said to be a stand-in for the underworld or a realm that exists between the living and the dead.

The prince's next memory is of waking on the hillside alone. It is not clear if the lady allowed him to return to his life outside the faery realm, or if she will be back for him again. Oddly, the knight does not heed the pale figures' warning, for he continues to haunt the mead in search of her.

What are the 3 main postulates of the kinetic theory?

The Kinetic Theory of Gases describes the behavior of gases in terms of motion on the particle or microscopic level. There are different ways in which the assumptions can be stated and grouped. At minimum, there are five postulates:

1. Gases consist of particles in random, rapid motion. The particles move in a straight line until they collide with other gas particles or with the walls of their container.

2. The volume of the particles is essentially zero compared to the volume of the container. In other words, the molecules are like dimensionless points.

3. There are no forces of attraction or repulsion between the gas particles. 

4. Collisions with the walls of the container or with other particles are perfectly elastic, meaning that no energy is lost. 

5. The average kinetic energy of a sample of gas particles depends on the temperature of the gas. 

What was the major weakness of the Articles of Confederation?

Generally (though it's a bit of a circular answer to say so) the biggest weakness of the government under the Articles of Confederation was that it was too weak. The Articles simply didn't grant the national government enough power to govern the thirteen states as a nation. More specifically, I would argue that under the circumstances the most glaring weakness was that the government under the Articles lacked the power to levy taxes. The United States emerged from the Revolution as an independent nation, but one with a  great deal of war debt. This threatened the credit of the nation abroad, making it difficult to secure new loans. Congress under the Articles could request funding, but could not force the states to contribute tax revenue. This made it almost impossible to fund the federal debt. So perhaps the most urgent shortcoming of the government under the Articles had to do with its inability to raise revenue. This issue was just one of several that led to calls for a new constitution in 1787.

What will happen to the period of a pendulum if you increase its mass?

It depends on the pendulum. In the case of simple, or mathematical, pendulum, the period does not depend on the mass. The simple pendulum is a small massive ball hanging on a long string (that is, the size of the ball is very small compared to the length of the string.) The period of such pendulum depends only on the length of the string and the gravitational acceleration:

`T = 2pisqrt(l/g)` .

This period can change only if the length of the string changes or if it the pendulum is placed somewhere where gravity is different, such as on the Moon. The mass of the ball will not affect the period.

When the ball, or any other object is large enough so that its size cannot be neglected, it becomes a physical pendulum. The period of the physical pendulum is more complicated:

`T = 2pisqrt(I/(mgl))`

Here, I is the moment of inertia of the oscillating object, m is the object's mass, and l is the distance from its center of mass to the pivot. In this case, the increase of mass might affect the period, depending on how the moment of inertia of the object changes due to the change in mass.