List Macbeth's flaws as a leader as they are exhibited in the play.

Macbeth was not very successful as a leader primarily because he had not attained power by natural means. He became king through an unnatural and malicious act. In doing so, he opened up a Pandora's box of personal rancor whereby he revealed a number of fatal flaws which quickly set him on the road to ruin.

Macbeth was gullible. He too easily believed the witches' prophecies and promises of greatness. When he and Banquo first encountered the weird sisters, he foolishly accepted that their predictions meant that it was his destiny to become great. Once he had been informed that he had attained the title Thane of Cawdor, Banquo commented that he was "rapt withal" and expressed concern that he had been so easily overwhelmed.

He was paranoid. This paranoia was informed by his own deceit. Because he was capable of misleading others, he realized that those around him could do the same, and he therefore believed that they could attempt to usurp him. It is for this reason that he got rid of all those he assumed were a threat. 

Macbeth lacked trust. This trait goes hand in hand with his paranoia. Because he was paranoid, practically everyone became a suspect. It is for this reason that he suspected Banquo and due to this lack of trust in his erstwhile friend, he had him murdered.

He was driven by bloodlust. Macbeth went on a murderous rampage around Scotland, employing criminals and others to do his dastardly deeds. He had become so steeped in blood that he admitted that there was no turning back. In the process, his rule was characterized by fear and tyranny. He lost the respect of his subjects, who did not follow his lead out of loyalty and honor, but because they dreaded him.

Macbeth was governed by superstition. Throughout the play, we are shown obvious signs of his superstitious nature. This added to his paranoia and ruled his thinking. For example, he saw visions such as that of the dagger before Duncan's murder, which he believed was leading him on to commit the deed. He heard voices, as in "Macbeth hath murdered sleep." He could not understand why he could not say "amen" after murdering Duncan. He believed he had seen Banquo's ghost occupying his seat at the banquet table. He went back to the witches for guidance, superstitiously believing that they could help him. All these are clear indications that he was losing all reason, which points to another flaw.

Macbeth was going mad. He was losing his sanity and he made irrational decisions. For example, he decided to kill Macduff's entire family. This act ties in with all the other aspects of his character. The tyrant lost his head because of all the malice he had set loose in Scotland. It became an overwhelming force and he could not possibly have been normal. 

Macbeth lacked empathy and compassion. This is best illustrated by his cold relationship with his wife. Since he was so busy, by virtue of his paranoia, getting rid of real and imagined threats, he neglected his wife, who was going through a painful period of great regret and remorse. He, however, seemed to have no time for her in her greatest time of need and she committed suicide, a lonely, tortured woman.

Macbeth believed that he was invincible. When the witches told him that "No man of woman born shall harm Macbeth" he believed that he would rule Scotland and live to see old age. This made him even more callous. He exercised his malevolence unchecked in the belief that he was unstoppable.

Finally, Macbeth was malevolent. Since his first contact with the witches, Macbeth seemed to be driven by an instinctive desire to maim, hurt, torture, and kill. It was as if the witches had triggered his instinctual malice. We had seen glimpses of this when his fight against the traitorous Macdonwald was described. Macbeth had "unseamed" him from "the nave to the chops." He was absolutely ruthless and relentless, fighting like a demon as if he relished shedding blood and taking lives. 

Ultimately, all these traits are what led Macbeth to his doom. Many of his troops eventually deserted him and he was surrounded only by those who feared his vengeance. No one was loyal to him. No one respected him. He had destroyed not only himself and those close to him, but almost destroyed a country. Macduff's triumph over him was sweet and just revenge on a maniacal ruler whose maleficence had gone completely out of control.

How would I write a diary entry as silky Bob describing what I felt at the moment when I was arrested in After Twenty Years?

Bob would have been surprised and hurt when he was arrested.

I suggest you focus your diary entry on how Bob felt at each part of the story.

Bob and Jimmy were good friends.  They were such good friends, in fact, that they made an arrangement to meet twenty years into the future and both of them kept it.  However, when they met they were on both sides of the law and neither one knew it.

“I’m waiting for a friend. Twenty years ago we agreed to meet here tonight. It sounds strange to you, doesn’t it? I’ll explain if you want to be sure that everything’s all right. About twenty years ago there was a restaurant where this shop stands. ‘Big Joe’ Brady’s restaurant.”

Bob has a high opinion of Jimmy. He considers him a good friend.  He still does not know if he will show up, since a lot can happen in twenty years. During the conversation with the man he thinks is Jimmy, Bob begins to get suspicious.  He notices that Jimmy’s nose is not right.

Jimmy arranges for Bob to be arrested.  He does not do it himself, because he can’t bring himself to arrest his friend.  He explains why in a note to Bob.

Bob: I was at the place on time. I saw the face of the man wanted by Chicago cops. I didn’t want to arrest you myself. So I went and got another cop and sent him to do the job.

Although the story ends here, you can make some inferences about how Bob would feel. He had been getting more and more suspicious of “Jimmy,” and the letter confirms his suspicions.  He probably feels surprised and betrayed, but he also knows that Jimmy is a stand-up guy who always does the right thing, and he would understand why he did what he did.

Is a computer virus alive or not?

In terms of being a living, breathing, alive organism, the answer is no.  To qualify as a life form, it must have carbon as part of its chemical makeup.  It also has to be composed of cells, either unicellular or multicellular.  It also has to have a method of energy production, cellular respiration for animal cells and plants, or photosynthesis for plants only.  Finally, it must be able to reproduce, either asexually through binary fission or budding, or sexually through mitosis, fertilization, or conjugation.

In living organisms, viruses only meet the last qualification, reproduction.  They must invade a host cell, take over its DNA, replicate within the cell, then go on to invade other cells.  They has none of the other qualifications of living organisms so some scientists consider them to be nonliving entities.

In computers, computer viruses serve a similar function.  They can not exist on their own, so they take over a host computer's files and internal operating system.  They slow down the operation of the computer and interfere with it's normal day-to-day processes.  The definition remains consistent, even though we are talking about a machine and internal memory drives.

Even though the definition of a virus and computer virus is constantly being reevaluated, currently both are considered nonliving entities.  There are those in the scientific community who think that standard should be revised, and that computer viruses reclassified as organisms that possess some of the qualities of living organisms.

In ballet what percentage of people actually end up being a principal dancer?

There are no reliable sources of statistics on the percentage of ballet students who go on to become principal dancers- of either gender. Ballet is a highly competitive art and it is safe to say that only people with dedication to training, passion for the art, and natural talent become principal dancers. Hundreds of students of a variety of ages may be part of a ballet school (or dance academy) at one time. Those who are on the training track for professional dancing- often called a pre-professional program- can be upwards of one hundred per academy. This is dependent on the size of the school and number of teachers available. Pre-professional programs are quite selective though, so their numbers are typically small.

You may know that ballet companies are even more selective and may not have a large number of dancers in the company. The highest ranking dancers in the company are called the principal dancers. The New York City Ballet has 93 dancers of varying ranks, not including students who may be chosen to perform specific roles. Of the 93, only 23 are principals. That's only about 25% of the total company. So, if someone is hired to dance as part of a company, we could assume they have about a 25% chance of becoming a principal.

However, making it through auditions for a ballet company is very challenging. Out of the hundreds of students who study with the NYCB in any given year, only a very small number of them will go on to be principals. I would put the odds at maybe 1% or less. I attended a ballet school and worked with their administrative department. Maybe two or three of the highest ranking dancers in the company had grown up in the academy, which had around three hundred students at any time. 

How does Anton Chekhov exemplify Russian literature?

Playwright and short story author Anton Chekhov exemplifies specific tropes of the Russian literary tradition in part because he is one of the seminal figures of 19th-Century Russian literature. The Nineteenth Century was an especially important time in Russia in part because cultural paradigms shifted and deeply affected the development of Russia's literary heritage. Because of this, the Nineteenth Century is arguably the most important period in Russia's literary tradition, and Chekhov is a key member of the nation's canon during this period. He was a successful playwright, but Chekhov is especially remembered as a brilliant short story author. He both predated and prefigured the modernist movement that was prevalent in Western literature at the onset of the 20th Century. His sparse style has proven influential to later authors, and he has exemplified many tropes and stylistic choices that has made him a key figure of Russian literature as a whole.  

How is The Outsiders a metaphor for life?

Throughout this novel, the main characters experience struggle and are forced to make difficult decisions that affect their overall outlook on life. This novel can be deemed a metaphor for life because, throughout life, people experience hardship and deal with their difficulties in various ways. Some people bottle their feelings inside and turn callous like Dally. Others try to bury and forget their heartache, before dealing with it honestly like Ponyboy. Some people use laughter and partake in activities to distract their difficult emotions, similar to Sodapop. People can channel their resentment and negative feelings and use it to motivate them like Darry. Others accept their difficulties and share their experiences to help people, like Johnny. This entire novel encourages people to seek comfort and solace with friends and family during difficult times, rather than give up hope when challenges come. 

Why did the townspeople remain complacent with the German army in Night by Elie Wiesel?

The townspeople in Night by Elie Wiesel remained complacent when the German army first came into town because they really did not know what was happening. Sure Moshe the Beadle had warned them, but nobody believed him. How could anything so terrible really happen in that day and age?  Furthermore, when the Germans arrived in Sighet, they initially treated the townspeople well, and they were respectful to everyone. The officers were housed with families--some of them even in Jewish households. Wiesel wrote about an officer who stayed with neighbors of theirs. The officer was kind to them. He even bought the lady of the house a box of chocolates. Those who believed things were not going to get worse were pleased.

"Well, there you are, you see! What did we tell you? You wouldn't believe us. There they are your Germans! What do you think of them? Where is their famous cruelty" (Wiesel 7)?

When one hasn't been subject to terrible cruelty, it is hard to imagine it might happen to you, and the Jews of Sighet felt this way. It didn't take long for the Germans to show their real faces. On the last day of Passover, several leaders in the Jewish community were arrested, and as Wiesel wrote, "The race toward death had begun" (Wiesel 8).

How does the big bang theory work?

The Big Bang Theory is the most widely accepted cosmological model of evolution of our universe. According to this theory, the universe started out as a hot and extremely dense mass, which represented a singularity. This dense mass started expanding and continues to expand today. Over time, the universe cooled down sufficiently and matter (as we know it today) formed and over time, planets, stars, and other celestial bodies formed. The expansion of universe has been confirmed by the observation of red shift of galaxies, first discovered by Edwin Hubble. Another evidence for big bang theory is the discovery of cosmic microwave background radiation by Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson. It has been hypothesized that the big bang took place around 13.8 billion years ago and that is the age of our universe.

Hope this helps. 

What are character sketches of Bruno, Father, Mother, Shmuel, and Gretel?

While The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a very unrealistic account of the treatment of the Jews in Auschwitz (children were usually eliminated), it is a tale that depicts the various moods that existed in the German people, and it is a narrative from which young readers can derive some sense of man's inhumanity to man during this infamous era of German history.

Certainly, the characterization points to those Germans who were appalled at the Nazi Regime, those who did not or chose not to know, those who took sadistic delight in the Final Solution, and others who enjoyed the chauvinism of the time and the sense of bravado that many of the soldiers displayed, as well as the growth in the country's economy. The development of characters also points to the divisions within families on ideologies. For instance, Bruno's paternal grandparents differ greatly: Bruno's grandfather is proud that his son Ralf, who shows off his uniform one Christmas, is the commandant of the concentration camp; however, the former singer and actress, the grandmother, is very ashamed of her son. 

Within Bruno's family, there are also divisions. Gretel, who is attracted to the cruel and inhumane Lt. Kotler, selects her own reality as many Germans did during World War II, laughing with him at his cruel jokes. Her mother, too, is attracted to Kotler, typifying the illicit and godless behavior that was concomitant with the acts of inhumanity of the time as she has Kotler staying overnight when her husband attends military meetings in Berlin. Of course, she is probably neglected by her husband whose career absorbs his time.

Bruno, like the Jewish prisoner from Poland, Shmuel, who shares his birthday, is ingenuous. While Shmuel keeps trying to find his father, Bruno has no comprehension of what goes on at "Out-With." Although the narratives about these two boys is unrealistic, the characters serve to illustrate the idea that they are two innocent children, victims of their environments, and could have been in each other's place given the circumstances with the other race having been stronger and equally cruel.

Unlike any other character outside the fences, Bruno has compassion for Shmuel and Pavel, who work in the kitchen. However, Bruno's charitableness toward Shmuel before one dinner party actually harms the small boy. Unfortunately, Bruno means well, but his giving of pieces of chicken to Shmuel effect his receiving a tremendous beating from Kotler because the frightened Bruno denies before Kotler offering the chicken to Shmuel. 

Why did Crispin and Bear encounter so few people as they began their journey?

There are a few reasons Bear and Crispin encountered few people during their journey to Great Wexley.

For one, the population of England was much smaller and concentrated in small villages during the Middle Ages. Have you ever heard the phrase, "few and far between?" This accurately describes the settlement patterns of Medieval English people. If you were traveling at this time, you could expect to come across a village or manor house here or there, perhaps connected to one another by one or two roads. Infrastructure then was not at all like it is today, and most people never even left the village they were born in! The probability that Bear and Crispin might come across other travelers was exceptionally small... but what about the villages?

I've already mentioned that villages were spread far apart and typically quite small, but one could expect that when our duo comes across the village, surely they would meet some people. Unfortunately, the plague was rampant at this time and often left entire villages desolated. Even minor illnesses like the flu posed a threat to a village, and it is estimated that around half of the population of England died during the Middle Ages as a result of the plague.

Finally, I'd like the mention the particular timing of the story. Crispin and Bear are headed to Great Wexley for the Feast of Saint John the Baptist on the 23rd of June. During spring and summer, the majority of the population would have been tending their fields, working to grow food! Subsistence farming places a lot of demand's on a person's time, so if anyone wanted to eat, they needed to be working in the fields. Even if people had wanted to leave their village, they would need enough time to do so, as well as food to sustain them on the journey.

In Shakespeare's Macbeth, consider how Macbeth, in his role of tragic hero, functions as an instrument of the suffering of others.

William Shakespeare created one of his most despicable, yet pathetic, characters with the tragic hero of Macbeth. Tragic heroes have a tragic flaw, a weakness that brings about their downfall. Macbeth's flaw is his failure to understand the consequences of his ambition.

One of the primary consequences of Macbeth's ambition is the misery it causes for others. As Macbeth slips deeper and deeper into his single-minded madness, he becomes less and less concerned about the devastation he creates.

The first object of his ambition is, of course, King Duncan. This causes a broad range of misery, as Duncan's sons and subjects all feel sorrow at his death.

Next, he kills the faithful and innocent Banquo, rendering his son fatherless.

Ironically, Macbeth's actions result in the suicide of his wife, Lady Macbeth, who cannot shake the guilt of the plot she originated. She is an unexpected victim, since we saw her behave so ruthlessly in acts I and II.

Although at this point he has already gained the throne, his ambition breeds a paranoia that leaves him feeling threatened and exposed. Macbeth sinks to his deepest point when he orders the killing of Macduff's wife and children. Macduff's suffering at the loss of his family is the most poignant moment in the play, and it underscores how evil Macbeth has become. 

Finally, Macbeth brings misery to himself, as evidenced by his famous soliloquy “Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow,” in which he reveals how pointless his life has become with lines “Life is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”

Where can I expect to find the question or problem in a scientific paper?

The first place to look for the question or problem in a scientific paper is the abstract. An abstract is a short summary of the scientific paper. Abstracts are usually a single paragraph found on the first page, placed below the list of authors and their affiliations. The abstract should include sentences stating the problem or question, the methods, results and conclusions of the scientific study.

However, in some cases the problem or question may not be clear to you after reading the abstract. In this case, you should dive into the other sections of the paper. The introduction or background section usually follows the abstract. This section is used to give the reader a brief introduction to the problem, and may include an explanation of widely-held beliefs or recent work in the area. 

If you are still unsure, you can also check the conclusions section. By reading the author's conclusions you may be able to deduce the original problem or question they were investigating.

Why does Matt hardly recognize Attean when he comes back to the cabin in "The Sign of the Beaver"?

There are two instances in The Sign of the Beaver when Matt is startled by Attean's very different appearance. One was a happy moment and the change was mostly physical. The other was not a particularly happy moment for Matt and the change had more to do with Attean's demeanor.

In the first instance, Attean returned to Matt's cabin after the two had killed a bear. Matt sat in the doorway of the cabin and was startled by what he thought was a stranger emerging from the woods. The stranger ended up being Attean with his face brightly painted in preparation for a feast he invited Matt to attend.

The other instance occurred later in the story when Attean and Saknis came to visit Matt at the cabin. Matt knew that Attean had been in the wilderness for the Indian ritual of finding his manitou and becoming a man. When he arrived with Saknis, Matt saw a completely changed, serious Attean whose hair, clothing and demeanor were now very different. His appearance and stance were identical to those of Saknis. Attean had become a man.

How does Lady Macbeth respond to Macbeth's state of mind in Act 3 Scene 4?

In the very beginning of the scene Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are both attempting to portray a united sense of calm and ease in their recently acquired positions of power. When they enter the banquet Macbeth says to the guests:

"Ourself will mingle with society

And play the humble host.

Our hostess keeps her state, but in best time

We will require her welcome."

And Lady Macbeth quickly responds:

"Pronounce it for me, sir, to all our friends,

For my heart speaks they are welcome."

However, things begin to unwind as soon as the first murderer comes to speak to Macbeth. The reader might assume Macbeth steps aside from his guests to have his conversation with the murderer and when he returns Lady Macbeth's frustration begins to simmer under the surface. She admonishes him for seemingly forgetting his duty to entertain his guests, saying "My royal lord,/ You do not give the cheer". In this moment, she appears to be reminding him to remain focused and be a good host or the guests might begin to suspect that something is wrong.

Once Macbeth begins to see the apparition of Banquo's ghost, Lady Macbeth responds to these fits in two differing ways. With the guests, Lady Macbeth attempts to downplay her husband's behavior. She assures them that he often behaves like this and the behavior will soon pass if they simply do not pay attention to him. However, when she pulls Macbeth aside she attempts to snap him back into reality by challenging his masculinity. She tells him his fear is not even "true fear" and is more well suited to a woman's story told around a fire. When his fits continue, she finally suggests to the guests that they leave.

In Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, did the mistress's initial kindness or her eventual cruelty have a greater effect on Frederick...

The eventual cruelty of Douglass's mistress, Mrs. Auld, had a greater effect on him than her initial kindness. At first, Mrs. Auld, who had never had a slave before, was "a woman of the kindest heart and finest feelings" (page 19). She did not realize that it was considered dangerous to teach a slave to read, thereby encouraging the slave's independence of thought, so she started to teach Frederick Douglass to read when he was young. Upon discovering what his wife was doing, Mr. Auld told her "that is unlawful, as well as unsafe, to teach a slave to read" (page 20). Mr. Auld feared that teaching a slave to read might make the slave rebellious and more prone to escape. Frederick Douglass said at this moment that he understood how the white man kept the black person enslaved, and "I understood the pathway from slavery to freedom." (page 20). He realized that if reading was so dangerous for slaves, the key to freedom was learning how to read. Frederick Douglass's acquisition of the ability to read allowed him to have the psychological power and tactical means to escape northward. Therefore, his mistress' cruelty had a greater effect on him than her kindness. 

How does culture affect history?

History, in its simplest sense, is a study of the actions of humans from the past. The impact of culture on how humans behave is quite dramatic. Virtually every action that a person takes is the result of the cultivation of their culture on that individual.

There are many themes that historians study in their pursuit of an understanding about the past. Themes like warfare, expansion, and socio-economic structure are examples. If we look at the theme of human conflict, culture has played a significant part. Wars or conflicts often occur because of religion, or more specifically, competing religious ideologies. Wars can be started over conflicting economic interests or resources. Conflicting political ideologies have also been a constant catalyst for conflict. Ideas of religion, economic organization, and government systems are all elements of a person's culture.

When considering the importance of culture on human behavior, it is very easy to understand that history is completely shaped by culture.

What beliefs about the "sentience" of matter does Usher express to the narrator in The Fall of the House of Usher?

Roderick Usher's observation of "the sentience of all vegetable things" extends to his conviction that even inorganic things, such as the stones of his mansion, take on a certain consciousness of their environment and those who dwell within.  

Usher is convinced that non-living things of the natural world, as well as the living things, have "molded the destinies of his family" and made him what he is. While the narrator declares that he will make no comment on this opinion, the idea of pathetic fallacy enters the narrative at this point. Usher believes the arrangement of the stones, the fungi growing on the stones, and the decaying trees that surround the house have had a longstanding effect upon the destinies of the Usher family; furthermore, they have even affected the formation of his own being.

In this part of his narrative, Poe seems to extend the concept of the influence of one's environment as one that has not just a psychological effect, but also exerts a physical one. That is, Roderick believes the outward decay and conditions have affected the lives of the Ushers. Interestingly, ancient peoples attributed the ravages of fungi to the wrath of the gods, so they, too, felt an influence upon their lives by such growth.

In Night, what did author Elie Wiesel need to survive his experience of the Holocaust?

In Night by Elie Wiesel, Eliezer needed to stay as healthy as possible and to have a lot of luck in order to survive the Holocaust. Many others were not so lucky. Entire families were destroyed by the Nazi killing machine. Elie was fortunate because he first of all survived the initial selection when he arrived at Auschwitz. Secondly, Elie was lucky to get into a working unit at Buna where the work was relatively easy. Many other prisoners were worked to death building walls, digging trenches for graves, and doing all kinds of manual labor with little food. Many others gave up and died. Elie had his father to think of, so he kept hope alive for both of them. Without that hope of someday finding freedom, he may have well died, too. He also had luck on his side when he was able to have the operation on his foot. The Nazis often sent the sick and injured straight to the gas chambers. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason for who lived and who died. It was really just luck and a little hope that made the difference for Elie. 

What are 20 important events in the Outsiders? (Timeline of Events)

The general plot points in the novel are:

1. On the way home from a movie, Ponyboy gets attacked by a group of Socs.

2. He gets rescused by other Greasers: Darry, Johnny, Two-Bit, Soda, and Steve.

3. At the drive-in, Ponyboy, Johnny, and Dally meet two Soc girls, Cherry and Marcia.

4. After talking with Cherry, Ponyboy realizes not all Socs are bad.

5. Ponyboy gets home late. Darry loses his temper and hits him; Ponyboy runs away.

6. Cherry's boyfriend Bob and some other Socs try to drown Ponyboy in the fountain. Johnny accidentally kills Bob.

7. Dally gives Ponyboy and Johnny money, a gun, and a change of clothes.

8. Ponyboy and Johnny hop a train and then hide in an abandoned church in the woods.

9. Ponyboy recites "Nothing Gold Can Stay" and reads Gone with the Wind to Johnny, who loves both works.

10. Dally arrives. Johnny decides to turn himself in.

11. Dally, Johnny, and Ponyboy save several children from the church when it starts on fire. All are hurt, but Johnny is severely injured.

12. They go back to their city; Johnny is hospitalized.

13. Two-Bit announces that Johnny will be charged with manslaughter.

14. Socs and Greasers decide to have one huge fight to settle their differences once and for all.

15. The Greasers win the fight.

16. Dally and Ponyboy see Johnny in the hospital; Johnny dies.

17. Dally can't deal with Johnny's death, so he robs a store and commits 'suicide by cop,' in which he forces the police to shoot him.

18. Ponyboy goes back to school, but his grades plummet and he has trouble eating and sleeping.

19. Ponyboy opens the copy of Gone With the Wind and finds a note from Johnny. Johnny says that he will 'die proudly' and that Ponyboy should 'stay gold,' following his dreams and being true to himself.

20. Ponyboy writes his Language Arts theme paper on the events that happened to him. The reader realizes the novel is actually his essay.

What can be inferred about Della's feelings as she counted her money the day before Christmas in "The Gift of the Magi"?

You can infer that Della loves her husband but they are very poor, and she wishes she could provide him something special.

Jim and Della are like many young married couples.  They struggle to make ends meet.  They are deeply in love, but they do not have much in the way of material possessions.  For Christmas, Della wants to find a way to show her husband how much she cares about him.  She wants to get him a present.  Unfortunately, even though she has been saving for a long time she has not managed much.

One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. … Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until one's cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied.

Della is upset.  She wants something really nice for Jim, something “worthy” of him.  She feels like the only thing she can do is “flop down on the shabby little couch and howl.”  Yet after Della does that, she comes up with a solution.

Will you buy my hair?" asked Della.

"I buy hair," said Madame. "Take yer hat off and let's have a sight at the looks of it."

Down rippled the brown cascade.

"Twenty dollars," said Madame, lifting the mass with a practised hand.

"Give it to me quick," said Della.

In desperation, Della sells her hair to buy Jim a watchband.  She never would have sold her hair, her most prized feature and possession, if Jim did not mean a lot to her.  Jim means more to her than physical beauty or vanity.  All she wants is to do something nice for him.

The irony, of course, is that Jim sold the watch to buy Della combs for her hair.  Yet this demonstrates something.  Each knew what the other valued most, and each valued the other more than his or her prized possession.  It shows that Jim and Della truly loved each other.

What is a good theme for the topic "loyalty" in The Outsiders?

Depending on who is or isn't showing loyalty to whom, you could make a few different arguments about what S.E. Hinton is saying about loyalty in The Outsiders. I'll put my various theme statement suggestions in italics below. 

If you are thinking about Darry and Pony's loyalty to one another, you might say blood is thicker than water as a theme statement to describe how Ponyboy, Soda, and Darry all work together to be a family and stick together after their parents' deaths. You could also use Darry's decision to stay home and work full time instead of going to college as evidence of this. 

At the same time, Pony questions Darry's loyalty to and love of him through most of the book. A theme statement to describe this might be when family members can't trust one another, the home dissolves into chaos. After all, it was Darry's slap that causes Pony to run away, where he and Johnny get jumped and kill the Soc. And, toward the end of the story, Soda cries out that both Pony and Darry calling on his loyalty in their arguments is tearing him apart. 

Loyalty to one outside your class invites suspicion is a good theme to describe Cherry and Pony's relationship. Even though they are very similar in interests and temperament, and they get along well, Ponyboy is constantly suspicious of Cherry's motives in being his friend. At the same time, Cherry knows that being Pony's friend in a public way would be unwise, and so she keeps it private – suggesting that maybe true loyalty can't exist between social classes.

What is the specific rhyme scheme for Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"?

There is no set rhyme pattern in Maya Angelou’s poem “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” Instead the poet uses the structure and rhyme of the poem to emphasize its metaphorical meaning.

In the first stanza, there is no set rhyme scheme which allows the reader to feel the freedom of the uncaged bird as it soars on the breeze.

In contrast, in the second stanza, the second and fourth lines rhyme ending with  the words cage and rage. This brings emphasis to the feelings evoked by the bird being restrained in the barred cage. In stanzas three and six which form a refrain, she again writes of the caged bird. Lines two, four, and six are short, terse, rhyming lines that once again denote the plight of the bird. The use of a refrain brings emphasis and importance to the meaning of these two stanzas.

In stanzas four and five the first two lines of each form a couplet. The first stanza describes the free bird while the next one speaks to the caged bird. The pattern of these stanzas mirror each other to once again make the comparison between freedom and oppression.

In Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice how did Mr. Darcy justify his behavior towards Jane and Mr. Wickham?

Following Elizabeth's rejection of his first marriage proposal, Mr. Darcy writers her a letter explaining his actions toward Jane and Mr. Wickham. He explains that he encouraged Mr. Bingley to turn his affections away from Jane for two reasons. First, the behavior of most of the Bennet family (Elizabeth and Jane excluded) was often rude and unbecoming; Darcy believed it would not benefit Mr. Bingley to attach himself to this family. Second--and most importantly--Darcy believed Jane was indifferent to Mr. Bingley's affections; he wanted to protect his friend from a broken heart.

Mr. Darcy also explained his conduct toward Wickham. Apparently, Wickham had squandered his inheritance and resented Darcy because he would not give him any more money. As an act of revenge--and to try to get a piece of the Darcy fortune--Wickham manipulated Darcy's sister into falling in love with him. He intended to elope with her, but his plan was discovered before he could accomplish it.

What is the main idea and theme of the Jourdon Anderson letter?

"Mandy says she would be afraid to go back without some proof that you were disposed to treat us justly and kindly; and we have concluded to test your sincerity by asking you to send us our wages for the time we served you. "  --Excerpt from the Jourdan Anderson letter

The Jourdan Anderson letter is a correspondence between the former slave Jourdan Anderson, who had escaped Tennessee, and his former master, Colonel P.H. Anderson. The letter is a sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek response to Colonel Anderson's previous letter that suggested Jourdan and his family should return to the plantation in Tennessee. It was written towards the end of the Civil War.

The main idea of the letter is that the freedom of the North offered a much better alternative than being in slavery in the South. The letter's theme of redemption and perseverance are demonstrated in the mention of Jourdan being paid every Saturday for his work in the North. His work as a slave was uncompensated, except for his clothing and food. Despite the meager wages he now receives as a laborer, being free is a much better alternative. His children have a better future because of it. The letter is also one of rebellion, in that he is able to speak in such a frank nature towards his former master. An example of this is when he mentions his family would be happy to return if his master agreed to pay him for back wages. You can almost see Colonel Anderson's face blush with anger as he reads it.

In Chapter 19 of The Sign of the Beaver, why does Attean's grandmother change her mind about Matt?

Prior to Chapter 19, when Matt attended a feast at the Indian village after helping Attean kill a bear, Attean's grandmother was not happy with his presence. Attean's grandmother hated the white man because her daughter was killed by them when Attean was young.

When Matt found Attean's dog wounded and caught in a trap, he attempted to save the dog and injured his hand. He turned to the Indian village for help, but Attean and the men were gone hunting. Attean's grandmother was told the story of how Matt helped save Attean's dog. She was impressed that a young white boy would risk harm to save an Indian's dog. This caused Attean's grandmother to change her mind about having him at the village. She sent Attean to the cabin to invite Matt back to the village.

How can you stop having stage fright?

The key to overcoming stage fright is preparation, no matter what the context is in which the stage fright is occurring.  You might be called upon to give a talk or presentation, you may actually be on stage in a play, or you might be simply standing up to say something at a meeting. In all cases, you need to be prepared.

If you are expected to give a speech or presentation, preparation entails knowing what you are talking about and organizing it properly.  This is really not all that different from writing an essay.  You need to do some research, generally, and then have a little outline with your main idea and supporting points.  Practice your speech with a friend or even in front of a mirror. When you know what you are talking about and have organized and practiced, you will be amazed at how little stage fright you feel.

If you are in a play, you need to memorize your lines and cues. These, too, should be practiced, at rehearsals, with a friend, or in front of a mirror.  All actors must do this kind of preparation. When you know your lines and cues, the stage fright goes away.

If you wish to speak at a public forum of some kind, again, know what you are talking about.  You can jot down a few notes before you speak, a brief outline, or key phrases that you want to use.  If this is unexpected, that is probably the most preparation you will be able to do, but even this little bit helps a great deal.

As someone who argued in front of appellate judges for twenty-five years, as someone who now teaches daily, and as someone who is essentially a shy person, I can tell you that it is preparation that has always enabled me to stand up and say what I need to say, without shaky knees or a pounding heart! 

What values does Calpurnia seem to represent in To Kill a Mockingbird? What quotes from the book support those values?

Calpurnia is African American and works for Atticus Finch by cooking, cleaning, and watching out for Jem and Scout. Atticus tells his sister Alexandra that Calpurnia is the only mother that the kids have known; and as such, she has taught them good manners, strength of character, and has been faithful by respecting others above herself. Calpurnia represents all of these good traits and values.

One of the first things Cal teaches Scout is good manners. When Walter Cunningham is invited over for lunch on the first day of school, Scout vocally condemns his use of syrup on his non-breakfast food items. Calpurnia immediately takes Scout into the kitchens as says the following:

"Hush your mouth! Don't matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house's yo' comp'ny, and don't you let me catch you remarkin' on their ways like you was so high and mighty!" (24).

Not only is it bad manners to vocalize one's thoughts about company, but acting "high and mighty" isn't good either. That's one lesson Scout doesn't forget. In this scenario, Calpurnia represents having good manners and being a good hostess.

The next value Calpurnia expresses is strength of character when she takes the children to her church. They are confronted with Lula who seems racist against whites coming to their church. But Calpurnia stands strong because the kids are her guests for the day.

"Lula stopped, but she said, 'You ain't got no business bringin' white chillun here--they got their church, we got our'n. It is our church, ain't it, Miss Cal?'

Calpurnia said, 'It's the same God, ain't it?'"(119).

Calpurnia faces her own kind in defense of what is right, just like Atticus faces his to defend Tom Robinson. Here, she represents a good strong character standing up for what's right.

Finally, Calpurnia represents being faithful and loyal to one's employer. For example, Calpurnia never gossips, back-talks, or complains about the Finches to anyone. Atticus vouches for Calpurnia's worth and values as follows:

"Calpurnia's not leaving this house until she wants to. You may think otherwise, but I couldn't have got along without her all these years. She's a faithful member of this family and you'll simply have to accept things the way they are" (137).

Calpurnia is faithful and loyal to the Finch family, which seems hard to come by when racial tension is so high at that time; but she's faithful nonetheless.  

How did Germany benefit from invading China?

To my knowledge, Germany has only invaded China on one occasion: In 1897, in response to the Juye Incident (in which German missionaries were killed in China), German naval forces captured Jiaozhou Bay. The German government soon changed their mind and stopped trying to take new territory in China, but by that point Jiaozhou Bay was already fully in German hands, so it ended up being granted a lease by the Chinese government, planned to be active until 1997. The lease was canceled in 1914 with the outbreak of World War I.

It's not clear that Germany actually benefited in any way from this acquisition; it was mostly done as revenge against the killing of Germany missionaries. It did serve as a somewhat useful naval base in the Pacific.

How does temperature affect diffusion?

As temperature increases, the rate of diffusion also increases.

Diffusion is a form of passive transport during which particles travel down a concentration gradient. In other words, particles travel from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration.

Temperature is a measurement of the average kinetic energy of the particles that make up a substance. Kinetic energy is the energy of motion. Thus, an increase in the temperature of a substance implies that the average kinetic energy of the particles of the substance has increased. As the kinetic energy of the particles increases, the particles begin to move faster and more often. Thus, the rate at which the particles diffuse and move from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration will also increase.    

Where are the telescreens located in the book, 1984?

In 1984, a telescreen is a dual-purpose device: it broadcasts party propaganda to the people of Oceania while also watching and recording their every move. As such, the telescreens are located in a wide range of locations. We find them in Winston's apartment, in the workplace and all government buildings, like the Ministry of Truth, and in public spaces, like cafes and Victory Square. A telescreen even appears in Winston's jail cell. The abundance of these screens reinforces the book's central idea that 'Big Brother is Watching You' and are designed to provide examples of how a totalitarian state enforces social control.  

What is, perhaps, more interesting is to look at where the telescreens are not located. There are none in the woods, for example, when Winston and Julia make love. Nor in Mr Charrington's antique shop or the Prole Pub, as proles are exempt from having them. Not having a telescreen, then, represents being outside of mainstream society and its norms and values. In the eyes of Big Brother, these people are a deviant underclass, but, for Winston, they symbolise freedom and change. 

What is Gatsby's attitude toward the forward march of time?

Gatsby rejects the forward march of time. His whole life has revolved around going back to the moment five years before when he and Daisy were first in love. He believes he can erase the time between, that Daisy will leave Tom, and that he and Daisy will pick up exactly where they left off before the war. In fact, when Nick suggest to him that you can't repeat the past, Gatsby replies: "Can't repeat the past?" he cried incredulously. "Why of course you can." 

Gatsby's triumph and tragedy reside in his belief that he can remake the world the way he wants it through his own will. Meanwhile, characters in the novel move forward: Daisy and Tom have had a child, which can't be undone, and Daisy has thrown her lot in with Tom, unwilling to leave him. The Daisy he has idealized is nothing but dream. 

What does Atticus think of Boo?

Always respectful of everyone, Atticus feels that Arthur Radley's privacy should not be invaded by the children, and he understands that Boo is a mockingbird, who should not be harmed by the curious and gossips and predatory types. Later on, he is also extremely grateful to Boo for having protected the children from Bob Ewell.

Early in the narrative when the children's curiosity moves them to invade the privacy of the Radley yard, Atticus scolds them after Jem tries to put a note on the window sill.

"Son,...I'm going to tell you something and tell you one time: stop tormenting that man. That goes for the other two of you."

Further, Atticus informs the children that what Mr. Radley did was his own business. He instructs them that the proper way to communicate with someone is to go to the front door, not to put a note on a window sill. Finally, he tells the children to stay away unless they are invited.

In the final chapters, after Boo Radley kills Bob Ewell in order to save Jem and Scout from his attack with a knife, Boo is brought into the Finch home. When Scout greets him, saying "Hey, Boo," she is corrected by her father to call him "Mr. Arthur." In addition, when Sheriff Tate makes his argument to say that Ewell fell on his knife rather than implicate Arthur Radley, Atticus agrees with Tate's words that

"...taking the one man who's done you and this town a great service an' draggin' him with his shy ways into the limelight--to me it's a sin."

Considering Tate's words, Atticus turns to Arthur, "Thank you for my children, Arthur." Clearly, then, Atticus has great respect for the privacy of Arthur Radley; moreover, he is extremely grateful to him for having protected the children from great harm.

To what extent is Willy the anti-hero?

I wouldn't call Willy an anti-hero. While there is some ambiguity around the term, an antihero is generally a character who undergoes the classic hero's journey without having all of the typical moral qualities of a conventional hero. This is a term that is more applicable to epic than to tragedy. In tragedy it is much more normal for the hero of the story to be flawed. Being flawed in a tragedy does not make the protagonist an antihero. Given this, though I do agree that Willy is the primary subject of the play, I would call him a tragic hero rather than an antihero. 

He follows more in the tradition of Greek tragedy. In this genre of drama a largely good-natured person suffers due to a crucial flaw. Willy is certainly more flawed than the typical greek hero, but I would argue he is essentially still good at the core. Despite his cruel behavior, cheating, and obsession with success, he is in many ways a victim of a vapid society, a poor upbringing, and a misconception of the drivers of true happiness. Deep down he still loves his sons and wants them to do well in life. His is blinded by vanity and insecurity.

An antihero is an extraordinary person who accomplishes extraordinary things despite less than perfect moral qualities. Willy is in many ways the opposite of this. He is an ordinary man who accomplishes very little, despite a core desire to be good. He falls short because of his flaws and his failures.

Almost all acid molecules contain on or more (blank) atoms, which separate from the acid when the acid is mixed with a (blank).

Almost all acid molecules contain one or more hydrogen atoms, which separates from the acid when it is mixed with a base.

Most acids have hydrogens, whereas many bases contain hydroxide subgroups. The hydrogen that separates from an acid often attaches to the hydroxide on the base. Hydrogen ions are also referred to as protons. Therefore, acids are sometimes referred to as proton donors. Similarly, bases are sometimes referred to as proton acceptors.

A reaction between an acid and a base is called a neutralization reaction. The general equation for a neutralization reaction is:

Acid + Base --> Salt + Water

The water is formed when the hydroxide ion(s) from the base (OH-) combines with the proton(s) (H+) of the acid. The salt is formed from the combination of the anion of the acid and cation of the base.

What does Mayella accuse Tom Robinson of doing? What does she think happened? Describe Mayella's attitude toward everyone in the courtroom.

In Chapter 18, Mayella Ewell takes the witness stand and accuses Tom Robinson of assaulting and raping her. Mayella's testimony is completely fabricated and contradictory. She tells Mr. Gilmer that she offered Tom Robinson a nickel to "bust up" an old chiffarobe. When she walked inside to retrieve the nickel, Mayella says that Tom followed her inside and choked her from behind. Once Tom grabbed Mayella around the neck, he began to hit her. Mayella says he "chunked" her on the ground and "took advantage" of her. Mayella claims that she does not remember the events that took place after she was assaulted.

When Atticus questions Mayella as to whether she remembers Tom beating her in the face, she says, "No, I don't recollect if he hit me. I mean yes I do, he hit me" (Lee 248). When Atticus asks her to identify the man who beat and took advantage of her, Mayella points at Tom Robinson. Tom Robinson has a crippled left arm, and Atticus simply asks, "How?" (Lee 249). Mayella claims that she doesn't know how it happened because it all happened so fast. Mayella finally testifies that Tom's punch glanced off her face because she ducked. She then says she started to kick, punch, and scream. Atticus then begins to rapidly question Mayella about why no one was able to hear her screams, and she does not respond.

Mayella's attitude is hostile and indignant the entire time she is on the witness stand. She views Atticus with contempt and is hesitant to answer his questions. Mayella cries as a way to gain the audiences' sympathy. When Atticus makes her recant her testimony she becomes extremely angry and even calls the jury, judge, and lawyers cowards for not believing her.

Who has the "tell-tale" heart in the story: the narrator or the old man? Defend your choice.

The "tell-tale heart" in Poe's short story most definitely belongs to the narrator.  

The narrator thinks that he has an "over-acuteness of the sense[s]" because he believes that he can hear the old man's heart; however, it is really his own heart that he hears. On the night he finally kills the old man, he accidentally wakes him up first, and after waiting an hour for him to lie back down, the narrator opens his lantern just a bit, and the light falls on the man's "vulture eye"; the narrator "grew furious as [he] gazed upon it." When we get angry or nervous, adrenaline is released, and our hearts begin to beat faster and more loudly. At this point, the narrator says, 

[...] there came to my ears a low, dull, quick sound, such as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I knew that sound well, too. It was the beating of the old man's heart. It increased my fury, as the beating of a drum stimulates the soldier into courage.

There is simply no way that the narrator would be able to hear the old man's heartbeat from across the room. It is only logical to assume that the heartbeat he hears is his own, beating harder and faster because of his growing "fury."  

Furthermore, the narrator hears this same sound even after he has killed and dismembered the old man. There is, again, simply no way that the sound could be coming from someone who has been murdered and cut apart. While the police officers sit just on top of the spot where the narrator buried his victim, he again hears

a low, dull, quick sound -- much such a sound as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. [He] gasped for breath -- and yet the officers heard it not.

The narrator is growing more and more nervous that the officers will find him out (he says "[his] head ached, and [he] fancied a ringing in [his] ears"), and so his heart begins to beat loudly and more quickly once again. He describes the sound in precisely the same way as before -- a watch wrapped in cotton -- and as he gasps for breath, the sound will only increase like it did before. Further, the officers cannot hear it, and so we must assume that it is actually the narrator's own heart that he hears.

Suppose Bella has already saved $60 and earns $15 per hour for summer job. Her boyfriend Edward has already saved $100, but only earns $10 per...

Hello!

We don't know how many hours they work a day, tberefore we can answer in terms of hours only. Also, i have to suppose that they work the same amount of hours.

"The same amount of money" may mean "the same for both persons" or "the same as needed for one iPod for both". Let's solve both variants.

1. Denote the number of hours when they will have the same amount of money as x. Then Bella will have 60+15x dollars and Edward will have 100+10x and these amounts were equal:

60+15x=100+10x.

Move 10x to the left and 60 to the right (changing the sign) and obtain

5x=40, or x=8 (hours).

So the answer is: they will have the same amount of money after 8 hours of simultaneous work.

2. In this case Bella again will have 60+15x dollars and Edward will have 100+10x dollars. They will have 60+15x+100+10x=25x+160 and this must be equal to 210.

25x+160=210 means 25x=210-160=50 or x=2 (hours).

For this problem the answer is: they will have enough money for one iPod after 2 hours of each person's work.

In which part of the plot does Mr. Carr call Alfred's mother in All the Years of Her Life?

Mr. Carr calls Alfred's mother in the rising action of the plot of "All the Years of her Life."

In the exposition of Morley Callaghan's story, there is the introduction of the characters of Alfred Higgins and Mr. Carr, the druggist for whom Alfred works. [The characters and setting are established.]
Then, while Alfred removes his white jacket as he prepares to go home, Mr. Carr stops him and says,

Maybe you'd be good enough to take a few things out of your pocket and leave them here before you go.

This is the introduction of the problem of the story in which the main character, Alfred, finds himself in crisis, and the rising action begins. In this rising action, the complication arises as Mr. Carr has discovered that Alfred has stolen some items from the store. Alfred recognizes his conflict with authority and tries to deal with this crisis through denial of having stolen anything. But, when he must empty his pockets, he can no longer deny his theft; so, he tries to mitigate the seriousness of it by saying, "This is the first time I ever took anything." However, Mr. Carr does not believe him. He tells Alfred that he liked him and is very disappointed; further, he admits that he does not like to call in the police. 

"You're a fool and maybe I should call your father and tell him you're a fool. Maybe I should let them know I'm going to have you locked up."

"My father's not at home. He's a printer. He works nights," Alfred said.

Then, Mr. Carr asks who is at home, and Alfred tells him that his mother is there. Mr. Carr dials the number to call Mrs. Higgins. Alfred feels the "deep fright growing in him," and he tries to talk Mr. Carr out of calling his mother. But, Mr. Carr makes the phone call and talks to Alfred's mother in the continuing action that rises toward the climax.

What is the difference between the words "humble" and "humility."

The words "humble" and "humility" come from the same root word, "humilis." Humilis is Latin for "low or close to the ground." Humble is an adjective, so it is used to describe someone, whereas humility is a noun. They both basically mean the same thing. Someone who is humble is not arrogant or overly proud. He/she is modest and does not think he/she is better than anyone else. The word can also be used as a verb, such as in "The man humbled himself when he asked for assistance from the child." An example of humble as an adjective would be, "Dr. Jacobs is a humble person in spite of her thriving practice."

"Humility" is the noun form of the same word basically meaning "a modest view of one's own importance." Someone with humility does not put himself/herself above others. An example would be, "Because the attorney was so successful, his humility around other lawyers always surprised me."

What countries did not come to the Paris Peace conference?

The Paris Peace Conference was held in Versailles, France in January of 1919. The major players at the conference were the United Kingdom, France, Italy and the United States, which was represented by President Woodrow Wilson. There were over thirty countries that were represented at the conference. At the end of the proceedings, the Treaty of Versailles was signed which came at a heavy cost to Germany and the Austria-Hungarian Empire. Germany was racked with heavy reparations and loss of territory and Austria-Hungary was broken up into smaller states.

The losing side of World War I, the Central Powers, were not invited to the conference as participants. This snub included the countries of Germany, Bulgaria, the Ottoman Empire, and Austria-Hungary. This meant they did not have a voice in the future of Europe, which would cause many problems in the near future. The new Bolshevik government in Russia was also excluded as the Allies refused to recognize the new government.  Japan also dropped out of the conference and was not a part of the final treaty decision.

How does Miss Kinnian react when Charlie returns to night school?

In the story, Flowers for Algernon, Charlie is the main character and Miss Kinnian is his teacher.  At first, Charlie does not understand much of school but tries hard.  Miss Kinnian recommends him for a scientific experiment to raise his intelligence.  That is successful for a while, but then fails and Charlie returns to what he was.

When Charlie shows up at school, Miss Kinnian is taken aback as Charlie sits in his old seat and picks up his old books.  She knows how intelligent Charlie was as a result of the experiment, and it hurts to look at him trying so hard again with so little intelligence or aptitude for school.  Seeing her aghast reaction, Charlie remembers that he no longer goes to this school.  She tries to soften the blow for him because he was her favorite student, but he leaves anyway.  She is left to wonder what happens to him as he does not return.  I think she wonders whether she should have disturbed Charlie in his innocent first life before the experiment when he was happy on his terms. 

Steps involved in determining the DNA sequence of a sample.

DNA sequencing refers to determining the order of nitrogenous bases (adenine, guanine, thymine, and cytosine) in a piece of genetic material. In modern methods much of the work is automated but the steps remain the same.

1. DNA is extracted from cells. This is easy to do, and many high school biology classes extract the DNA from fruit such as strawberries using only dish soap, cold alcohol, and a baggie.


2. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is performed on the sample in order to multiply the number of copies of the DNA. The helix is opened and copied multiple times.


3. The DNA sample is run through gel electrophoresis. DNA has an overall negative charge. The sample is placed at one end of a gel, and electric current is run though so that the sample is attracted to the opposite, positive end of the apparatus. Because the smaller fragments of DNA travel more quickly through the gel, bands form that have the smaller fragments closest to the positive end, and the larger fragments stay closer to the origin; they take longer to travel through the gel.


4. The resulting band patterns are decoded by an automated sequencer, which "reads" the nitrogenous base sequence.

Summary of chapter 11 of The Giver in 3 sentences.

There are three significant parts of chapter 11 in The Giver.  In the first part, The Giver shares his first memory with Jonas.  

This first memory is one of sledding down a snowy hill.  Because of climate control in his community, Jonas has never experienced snow.  He enjoys the fun sensation of sledding and the feeling of the snowflakes on his skin.

The next part of the chapter is when the Giver explains why there is no more snow.  He tells Jonas that climate control was created in part for the growing of crops.  He also shares a memory of laying in the sunshine with Jonas.

The last part of the chapter is when Jonas asks the Giver what he should call him.  "'It's just that I don't know your name.  I thought you were The Receiver, but you say that now I'm The Receiver,'" Jonas explains.  It is then that his new teacher tells Jonas that he should call him "The Giver."

If you are looking to write a three sentence summary of this chapter, you will have to choose which information is most important.  You may decide to focus on one part or have a sentence for each of the three parts.

What does the word extinct mean, when applied to a species?

A species becomes extinct when the last living individual of that species dies. An extinct species is a lost species - there are no more living examples of the species in existence. 

If a species has only a few living members left, and those members are all in captivity (such as in aquariums or zoos), the species is referred to as 'extinct in the wild'. 

Species which have relatively few living members are referred to as an endangered species. The species is 'in danger' of becoming extinct. 

Species which have a low number of living members are sometimes referred to as threatened or vulnerable species. 

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) maintains a website (linked below) which has examples of many threatened, endangered and recently extinct species. 

What are some similar things about the Tuck and Foster family in Tuck Everlasting?

I think that the biggest similarity between the two families is their care for Winnie Foster.  Both the Fosters and the Tucks clearly care for her and her safety.  Mr. and Mrs. Foster are not portrayed in a very positive light.  They are very over protective parents that do not let Winnie do much wandering on her own.  It's a bit oppressive, but it has to be argued that they clearly care for her safety and well being.  They do not want to see her hurt.  The same is true of the Tuck family.  They are a bit looser in their rules with each other and toward Winnie, but they absolutely would give their lives to protect Winnie from any sort of danger.  

Another similarity is a very surface level, literal similarity.  The Foster and Tuck families are families with a still together mother and father. That's a big deal to me as a reader, because I don't see that too often in newer teen literature.  Take The Hunger Games or Twilight series for example.  Bella's parents are divorced, and Katniss's mother is a single mother.  

What sign do the boys get from grown-up world?

At the end of Chapter 5, the boys lament about their situation and wish for a sign from the world of grown-ups. Ironically, the sign from the world of grown-ups is a dead paratrooper. At the beginning of Chapter 6, while the boys are sleeping, an aerial battle takes place above the island. In the midst of the battle, a paratrooper is shot down out of the sky and drifts to earth. The boys are unaware of the overhead battle that took place throughout the night and do not know that a dead paratrooper has landed on the island. Later on in the novel, Samneric spot the dead paratrooper's body swaying back and forth on the top of the mountain. Samneric mistake the paratrooper for the beast and the boys form a hunting party to track the beast. Simon is the only character to view the paratrooper and correctly identify it as a dead human body. Unfortunately, Simon is violently assaulted and dies on the beach before telling the boys the news the beast is actually a dead paratrooper.

Which early English document influenced most states to include a bill of rights in their constitutions?

Magna Carta, which was written in 1215 CE, exerted a powerful influence both on the United States Constitution and on the constitutions of the various states. Americans of the 1700s viewed Magna Carta as a declaration of universal rights. Magna Carta was widely believed to be the people’s reassertion of rights against a tyrannical ruler. This legacy captured the early American distrust of concentrated political power that was inherent in a monarchy. In part because of this tradition, most of the state constitutions included declarations of rights to guarantee individual citizens a list of protections and freedoms from the state government. The United States also adopted the Bill of Rights at the federal level, in part, due to this political conviction.

The state declarations of rights included particular guarantees that were understood at the time of their ratification to have descended from rights protected by Magna Carta. Among these are freedom from unlawful searches and seizures, a right to a speedy trial, the rights of the accused to a jury, and protection from loss of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.

Is it true or false that there are no term limits for members of Congress?

It is true that members of Congress have no term limits. Members of the House of Representatives are elected to two year terms. They can run for reelection every two years and there is no limit on the amount of times you can run for reelection. In the Senate, Senators are elected to six year terms and can run for reelection as many times as they want. These rights are granted in the Constitution of the United States of America. 

At one point, Arkansas passed legislation that would impose term limits on those who were in Congress. Arkansas' legislation was stricter than that of the Constitution of the United States of America. The Supreme Court of the United States ruled in U.S. Term Limits, Inc. v. Thornton that states cannot impose a term limit on their federal officials. 

What is a short summary of Pride and Prejudice?

In brief, Pride and Prejudice is all about love. The title refers to the main characters, Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. The proud Mr. Darcy insults the lively Elizabeth at a ball, saying she's "tolerable" but not attractive enough to tempt him to dance with her.  In return, she develops a prejudice against him and treats him badly. Because she refuses to be nice to him, he falls in love with her. The novel follows the windings and turnings of their relationship, and in the process becomes an examination of different kinds of love.

Elizabeth's kind and beautiful older sister Jane falls in love with Mr. Bingley, Darcy's friend, and Bingley falls in love with Jane, but Bingley, to everyone's surprise, fails to propose to her before leaving for London.

Elizabeth falls for the handsome but unreliable Wickham as Darcy is falling for her. Meanwhile, Elizabeth's fumbling and socially inept cousin, Mr. Collins, proposes to her. She rejects him and is stunned when her best friend, Charlotte Lucas, accepts him. Charlotte, in her own words, is not "romantic," and settles for a comfortable home. When she visits Charlotte, Elizabeth learns that a wise woman can manage admirably with an imperfect husband.

While she's visiting Charlotte, Mr. Darcy proposes to Elizabeth, but manages to wholly insult her by telling her family is horrible and that he split up Jane and Bingley because of it. Elizabeth lets him have it and tells him, essentially, that he's the last person in the universe she would ever marry. Darcy, being proud, had simply assumed she would say yes, so he is stunned.

Elizabeth takes a vacation with her aunt and uncle, the Gardiners, and the three of them stop and visit Pemberley, Mr. Darcy's estate. There, Elizabeth begins to regret giving up being mistress of such a grand place--and to her great embarrassment, runs into Darcy! (She had been told he was out of the area.) He seems to be still very much in love with her. But then bad news comes: Elizabeth's wild younger sister, Lydia, has run off with Wickham without marrying him, a terrible disgrace in that time period. Elizabeth fears the whole family is now ruined, but Mr. Darcy gets the twosome married and saves the day.

In the end, Darcy marries Elizabeth, and Bingley marries Jane. Elizabeth has learned not trust first impressions (the original title of the novel) and the reader learns the importance of marrying based not on a wild passion but on the basis of mutual love and respect.

What is one metaphor used in "Me Talk Pretty One Day" that best captures its main idea?

While "Me Talk Pretty One Day" has many metaphors that touch on the main idea of David Sedaris feeling out of place while trying to learn French, one of the clearest metaphors occurs in the second paragraph. In this paragraph's last sentence, Sedaris writes:

"As an added discomfort, [the other students] were all young, attractive, and well-dressed, causing me to feel not unlike Pa Kettle trapped backstage after a fashion show."

While this metaphor might not mention language, that comes later, the term "Pa Kettle" refers to a 1940s hillbilly character that moves into a modern home after winning a prize. It refers to the feelings of being out of place. This idea of being out of place is the central idea in "Me Talk Pretty One Day."

While the verbally abusive French teacher provides much of the comedy in this essay, she is just the embodiment of how Sedaris feels in this class. In fact, he makes clear that this is how he feels anywhere in France where he might have to speak. He says his "fear and discomfort" accompanied him beyond the classroom room and "out onto the wide boulevards." 

According to this essay, speaking a foreign language in a foreign land is frightening. This is why the Pa Kettle metaphor is relevant. Sedaris feels like he's been transplanted from a place where he feels comfortable, learning French in America, to a place where he feels completely out of place, learning French in France.

What are the tones in "The Open Window" by Saki?

The TONE of a literary work entails the attitude with which the story is being narrated. It is an attitude that shows the underlying feeling toward the subject, a character, or a situation. 

In "The Open Window," there is a consistent, underlying tone of mockery that stems from the characterization of Framton Nuttel.  His narrative is rife with mentions of a nervous condition that is unique in that it is aggravating, even to his own sister. 

..you will bury yourself down there and not speak to a living soul, and your nerves will be worse than ever from moping. I shall just give you letters of introduction to all the people I know there..

There is no compassion toward Framton despite of his condition, which makes the reader wonder if Roald Dahl is being cruel, or humorous. Given that his style is one to never pass on a chance to be sarcastic, ironic, or dark in humor, we should read the commentary on Framton, and his situation, as a comical one where a young woman takes full advantage of a much older- and much weaker- man. 

From that point, the other tones come from the nested tale of the supposed trip that left three men and a dog nowhere to be found. For this story, Vera adopts a dark, thrilling, and frightening tone that aims to scare Framton, thus making his condition even worse.

Framton's own tone is nervous, inconsistent and frazzled. At no time does he change his tendency to make himself vulnerable, and this leaves the reader almost chuckling in the end, when Framton finally loses it and takes off running out of the house. 

In the book The Egypt Game, what are some similarities that April and Melanie share?

Although April and Melanie have different backgrounds, they have some things in common that help them forge a strong friendship. They are the same age, live in the same apartment building, and go to the same school. However, the most important similarity they share is that they both have strong imaginations and like immersing themselves in a world of make-believe. While some girls their age would have looked down on Melanie's paper-doll family game, April is able to engage in it with Melanie. Both of them are in sync when they play the Egypt game. They build on each other's ideas and are able to cooperate and not compete with each other. They are also in agreement on many things, including whom they should allow to join the game. They have similar attitudes about boys; in general, they don't want to hang out with boys, but they find Ken and Toby funny and interesting. April and Melanie become close friends because they enjoy a style of play that relies on active imagination and the ability to lose themselves within a make-believe world.

Give an example of a movie or book character who thinks that their lover or friend isn't as great as they previously thought they were. For...

In the movie 500 Days of Summer, Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character Tom spends nearly two years pining for his ex-girlfriend Zooey Deschanel Summer, who broke up with him. Throughout the movie, which works as a series of flashbacks to the origins and then ending of the Summer-Tom relationship, it becomes clear that, despite Tom's insistence otherwise, that Summer is not the woman for him. He is so convinced that they are made for each other, he misreads an invitation to her party as a chance to win her back when, in reality, it was a party she was holding with her fiancé.  

Throughout the movie, Summer says that she doesn't believe in love, but she remains with Tom for several months. Their relationship looks like love to him, but it's clear in these flashbacks that she is not happy with their relationship and that it's one built on convenience, not on love. In fact, she continues to insist to himself that it is true love. 

Tom doesn't realize that Summer isn't as great as he wanted her to be, at least for him, until after this party and really doesn't get over her until he meets the aptly named Autumn at a job interview. 

How can we analyze the poem "On Turning Ten" by Billy Collins? What are the attitude, theme, and shifts of the poem?

"On Turning Ten" by Billy Collins has a tone/attitude of melancholy and thoughtfulness.  The narrator is reflecting thoughtfully on his sadness about turning ten, "the first big number."  The narrator also reminisces about the happiness and playfulness of his earlier ages.  He describes all the characters he pretended to be, such as an "Arabian wizard...a soldier... [and] a prince."  He contrasts this prior joy when he decides that this new age is "the beginning of sadness."  This statement shows his melancholy attitude.

The theme of the poem is growing up and the struggles having to do with coming of age.  The narrator starts by listing all the illnesses he would rather have than turn ten.  He describes this new age with dread.  He longs to be young again, even though he is told that "it is too early to be looking back."  

The shift in the poem is when the narrator accepts that he is growing up and that life is difficult.  He contrasts his former view about life with the view he has now.  He explains his new perspective:

"It seems only yesterday I used to believe
there was nothing under my skin but light.
If you cut me I could shine.
But now when I fall upon the sidewalks of life,
I skin my knees. I bleed."

The narrator's acceptance that life involves real pain is the point in the poem where he reaches true realization.  He no longer believes that his body is filled with light.  Instead, he acknowledges that when he gets injured, he will bleed.

On which topic does Willam Wordsworth most like to write poems?

This is a very interesting question, because Wordsworth was interested in many different themes and topics. He is considered one of the most significant of all the English poets and his works are widely read and anthologized. His prose essay "Preface to Lyrical Ballads" is considered a classic work on poetry and his own philosophy on poetics. Although known variously as a Romantic poet, a nature poet, and a political poet, Wordsworth could be counted on to return again and again to one dear subject in his poems: poetry itself.

Wordsworth did not necessarily write about poetry or writing poetry in so many words; rather, his poems explore the ideas, emotions and points of view that enriched his work as a poet. In "Tintern Abbey" his reflections upon a favorite landscape inspire him to explore his feelings about nature and the important place it holds in his mind, heart, and spirit. But these thoughts and feelings are conveyed in a way that also honors his own writing ability and practice.

Wordsworth also wrote searchingly about human nature in his poems, in ways that allowed him to examine his own deeply-felt attitudes about writing, art, and the experience of being human. The "elevation of the mind" that he believed occurred through engaging with nature was central to his idea of what poetry should be.

Which of the characters in chapter 3 have the most power and the highest status in Maycomb? Which have the least power and status? What accounts...

Chapter three in Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird compares the financial, educational, and social status of each of the following Maycomb families: the Finches, Cunninghams, and Ewells. The Finches can not only trace their family's ancestry to a long-standing plantation, but also to money, land ownership, education, and a respectable social status. These items and family characteristics give the Finch family financial stability, health, well-being, and safety within the law. They also enjoy a certain amount of power within the community because they can use their education and stable lifestyle to serve others as well as themselves.

The Cunninghams are probably one step down from the Finches and in the middle of the community hierarchy. They have some education, own land, and can also trace their family's ancestry back to the beginnings of Maycomb's history. They just don't have a lot of money because farming isn't very lucrative, and there's a depression on. They also have a good work ethic and pay their debts with anything valuable they may have so they are beholden to none.

The Ewells, on the other hand, are at the bottom of the county's hierarchy because the father spends their welfare checks on alcohol, they live on a small plot of land near the dump, and they don't participate in education, have jobs, or respect others in the community. The children get away with only having to go to one day of school each year, they never bathe, and they are disrespectful to everyone.

Scout asks her father about the families' different lifestyles. For example, she doesn't understand why Walter Cunningham would pour syrup all over vegetables and why Burris Ewell is allowed to go to only one day of school each year. Atticus reflects on the Ewell situation and why they aren't forced to go to school or follow the local hunting laws as follows:

"It's against the law, all right. . . and it's certainly bad, but when a man spends his relief checks on green whiskey his children have a way of crying from hunger pains. I don't know of any landowner around here who begrudges those children any game their father can hit" (31).

The above passage mentions why the community allows Bob Ewell to hunt out of season and references landowners as the governing body of the community. These are the men who have power in the community for the most part. Education got Atticus a good job as an attorney, but he also owns land. The Cunninghams have basic education, but they carry more clout because they own land. Bob Ewell may own a small plot of land by the dump, but he also doesn't live respectably. Power and status in the community depend on money, education, respect for the law, but mainly on whether or not a family owns land.

How is the life of the author reflected in the story?

Carver’s story takes place in Albuquerque, New Mexico and the plot centers around two couples who sit around the table, drinking gin and having a conversation. The two couples, Nick and Laura, and Mel and Terri tell stories about people in their past and things that happened in their lives. The tone is tense and the couples bicker and reveal how unhappy they are. The continue to drink gin and feel miserable, and the story ends with the couples sitting at the table, unable to do anything else. Raymond Carver’s life is reflected in this story in two significant ways. During his life, he struggled with alcoholism and depression. These struggles found themselves on the pages of much of his writing. Many of his characters were men who were drinkers and also seemed to be depressed individuals. In this story, the characters use drink to escape the unhappiness of their lives, and the dialogue they have around the table reveals how miserable they all are.

Is rock mechanically or chemically weathered by acids?

Acids chemically react with rock and induce chemical reactions that break rocks apart into smaller pieces. Therefore, rock is chemically weathered by acids.

Weathering is the process by which rocks are deteriorated, broken, or disintegrated into smaller components over time. Unlike erosion, weathering does not include the transportation of the rock nor of the smaller rock pieces that are formed. Weathering can be a result of either mechanical or chemical processes.

Mechanical weathering is sometimes referred to as physical weathering. Mechanical weathering is a result of a physical change on the rock. The following list are some contributors to mechanical weathering.

-          Wind may be strong enough or strike a rock for such a long period of time that rock is mechanically weathered.

-          Frost wedging begins as water seeps between the cracks of rocks. Next, the water freezes and expands. The force of the expanding water may act as a lever and split the rock further. 

-          As the temperature changes, the rock may expand and contract. This may result in fissures to occur and the weathering of the rock.

-          Animals may burrow in the rock and cause it to break apart.

Chemical weathering causes rock to undergo a chemical change. During chemical weathering, chemical reactions break down the bonds that hold the rock apart, causing the rock to fall apart into smaller and smaller pieces. Agents of chemical weathering include acid rain, oxidation, hydrolysis, carbonation, or dissolution.

I need a thesis statement about how Romeo and Juliet are infatuated with each other and I have to somehow connect it to this monologue? The thesis...

This monologue is spoken by Juliet after she has found out Romeo killed her cousin Tybalt. Here she is questioning how Romeo can appear so beautiful and wonderful, yet be capable of something as vile as murder. She is confused and has conflicting feelings about him. This monologue shows a common theme in a lot of literature, plays, TV shows, movies, and more. Does beauty equal goodness and does ugliness equal evil? In some literature and movies an evil witch may be presented as being ugly and that is one indicator that she is evil. Either she was born this way or perhaps her evil ways have caused her beauty to wither away. The hero or damsel who needs saving is usually presented as being beautiful. You could argue that in the past and even today, there is a belief that God would never curse a “good” person to be ugly. There is this idea that our outside reflects our heart inside. Sometimes though, the evil character is presented as very beautiful because it is meant to confuse and unsettle you. Someone who is very beautiful can use that to their advantage to deceive and manipulate because many people trust a beautiful face, like Juliet has done with Romeo. In this monologue Juliet is questing why and how Romeo can be so beautiful but do such a horrible thing. She uses oxymorons to describe Romeo and also fears his beautiful appearance is nothing but a mask hiding his true self. She says things like “a beautiful Tyrant”, “field angelical”, “a damned saint”, and “an honorable villain.” These are all oxymorons. Juliet also questions if Romeo is sent to deceive her from Hell. She wonders if perhaps his beauty was given by hell to disguise his true evil self. She says “O nature, what hadst thou to do in hell,/ When thou didst bower the spirit of a fiend/In moral paradise of such sweet flesh?” The whole idea that someone could be evil and so beautiful on the outside is baffling to her and most likely contrary to everything she has been taught. Essentially you could argue that Juliet originally believed Romeo to be a good man based solely on his beauty. Shakespeare could be trying to show us through this monologue that 1. You can’t judge a book by its cover and 2. Perhaps people are more complicated than just being simply good or evil. Juliet’s confusion, conflicting feelings, and use of oxymorons to describe Romeo show us that humans are complicated. Just like Juliet feels conflicted, perhaps it is possible that Romeo is still a “good person” even though he has committed murder. So in short you could write something along the lines of: In Juliet’s monologue O serpent heart, William Shakespeare shows us that you cannot always judge a person’s intentions by their outwardly appearance and physical beauty does not necessarily equal goodness.

Was the government justified in expanding its control of the economy in World War I? My side is that the government wasn't justified in expanding...

During World War I, the government expanded its control over the economy in several ways. The War Industries Board was created to control the production of war materials. The National War Labor Board was created to prevent strikes by mediating potential labor disputes. However, this expanded control of the economy was probably not necessary.

There were several examples that showed that voluntary efforts would have probably been successful. The government encouraged people to grow their own food. Many people planted victory gardens so they wouldn’t have to buy fruits and vegetables. The government encouraged people to reduce the consumption of certain foods. Many people voluntarily didn’t use wheat products on Mondays and gave up having meat on Tuesdays. During World War I, the government didn’t have to require the rationing of food. The government also encouraged people to buy Victory Bonds. The government borrowed about 20 billion by issuing these war bonds.

There were many examples where Americans voluntarily made sacrifices during World War I. It is reasonable to believe the same sacrifices could have been made in our economy. Businesses most likely would have been willing to work cooperatively with the government instead of having government agencies do this for them in some areas of the economy.