What does the story of Henrietta Lacks contribute to our understanding of the relationship between health concepts and socioeconomic issues?

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot tells the story of the black woman with cervical cancer whose cells were the foundation of the HeLa cell line, which has been the foundation of much groundbreaking medical research in the past half century. Although the story was initially motivated by Skloot's interest in the history of the cell line, the narrative itself is a biography of Lacks herself and her extended family, and becomes a sort of case study on the interactions between a poor, uneducated black family and the wealthy, educated white medical establishment of her period.

The first thing we learn as we read the narrative is how health care is experienced by a poor rural black family as something essentially alien to their culture and experience. Travel to a hospital, medical care, and medications are almost beyond the financial means of the family, even with Medicaid. Health care bureaucracy and the hospital environment are alien and frightening. This combination of fear and expense means that poor families delay treatment. In Henrietta's case, this meant that by the time she sought treatment, her cancer was sufficiently advanced to be incurable, despite it being a type of cancer that now has a 91 percent 5-year survival rate if treated in a timely fashion. 

Next, lack of education led to major problems in doctor-patient communication, follow-on care, and treatment compliance, not only in the case of Henrietta but also in the management of her daughter's diabetes. 

Both of these elements of the story of Henrietta Lacks lead us to understand that medical advances can only benefit people if medical practitioners take into account socioeconomic obstacles to care. This may mean running community based clinics during the evenings offering free preventive care or scheduling longer appointments with patients from less well educated backgrounds to make sure that they understand their health situations and have access to and comprehension of follow-on treatment. 

How does Shakespeare use Lord Capulet and Paris to present the 16th century attitudes towards marriage? Include references to: Context ...

Although Romeo and Juliet was written by William Shakespeare in approximately 1594 or 1595, the story itself is set neither in England nor in the sixteenth century. The main source for the play was a long poem by Arthur Brooke, "The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Iuliet" published in 1562 that itself recapitulated later Italian versions of a story first published in Italian and set in fifteenth century Italy. 

The first and most obvious attitude that determines the plot is one that marriages should be arranged by families rather than by the preferences of the individuals being married. Lord Capulet is an extremely strong advocate of this viewpoint and feels that the head of the household deserves unquestioning obedience. He sees marriage arrangements for his daughter as an extension of his patriarchal power.

Paris is a polite, sensible, and conventional man who also sees marriage as a practical transaction, although he is decent and kind within the limits of his worldview. While he would agree with Capulet in principle, he is more flexible in his views.

Typically, women in this period were intended to be subordinate to men and obedient first to their fathers and then to their husbands. They were also expected to be chaste, and somewhat passive. Even Juliet recognizes that her decision to go against her father's will violates not only societal conventions but religious ones of her period when she says:

For I have need of many orisons

To move the heavens to smile upon my state,

Which, well thou know'st, is cross, and full of sin.

In Seedfolks, why did Amir retell the story of the Polish woman who had been in a concentration camp?

Amir, an Indian immigrant, moved to Clevland in 1980. He mentions that it's hard to meet people in America because most individuals go out of their way to avoid contact and keep to themselves. Amir says when he first moved to Clevland he had pre-conceived notions about Polish immigrants. He was familiar with the common stereotypes associated with the Poles but never got to actually know a Polish person individually. He says, "I'd always hear that the Polish men were tough steelworkers and that the women cooked lots of cabbage. But I'd never known one---until the garden" (Fleischman 76). Amir began planting his carrots next to an elderly Polish woman's plot, and they developed a friendship. He noticed that she didn't thin her carrot plants by removing the unhealthy-looking plants every few inches to give the other plants room to grow. When he asked her why, she told him that the task of thinning her carrot plants reminded her too much of the concentration camps where prisoners were divided into two lines. She says that the prisoners were inspected each morning, and the unhealthy prisoners were chosen to die. She goes on to tell Amir that her father was a violinist who spoke out against Germany. Amir says,

"When I heard her words, I realized how useless was all that I'd heard about Poles, how much richness it hid, like the worthless shell around an almond. I still do not know, or care, whether she cooks cabbage" (Fleischman  77).

The reason Amir retold the story about the Polish woman was to explain how generalizations and stereotypes do not take into account the unique, personal experiences of each individual. He essentially is encouraging the reader not to judge a person based on their nationality, race, or gender.

How can you find out the concentration of the given unknown solution using a spectrophotometer?

A spectrophotometer is a device that can measure the intensity of light at different wavelengths. A sample holder called a spectrophotometric cell is filled with the solution of interest and placed inside the machine. A beam of light will be shined through the sample and the intensity of the light at a particular wavelength that passes through the sample is measured. For this reason, spectrophotometric cells are made of very clear glass or plastic. Care should be taken to avoid scratching cells or smudging them with fingerprints, as both can absorb some of the light, leading to an erroneous result. The more concentrated the solution, the less light will pass through (more absorbance). 

If we are given a solution of unknown concentration, we will need a graph of absorption as a function of concentration for the solution in question. This graph might be available in a textbook or you can produce one yourself by preparing several known concentration solutions. Take a reading from each of the known concentration solutions using the spectrophotometer at the recommended wavelength. Plot your results using a logarithmic scale on the X-axis (concentration) and absorption on the y-axis. Then take a reading from the unknown solution and compare the measured absorbance to your graph to determine the concentration.

Using a social class lens, what are some examples of rich vs. poor in the novel The Kite Runner?

Analyzing literature by using a social class lens allows the reader to understand the differences between social classes, social status, and the occupations of various characters throughout the novel. Analyzing The Kite Runner through the social lens illuminates the socioeconomic disparity between certain groups of people living in Afghanistan and America. In Afghanistan, Baba and Rahim Khan are wealthy Pashtun businessmen, while Ali and Hassan are poor Hazara servants. In Afghanistan, the Hazaras are discriminated against because of their ethnicity and religious beliefs, which is why they occupy a lower social class. Later on in the novel, the Taliban take control of Afghanistan and occupy a higher social class. In Chapter 20, Amir meets a beggar who used to be a professor. The professor's current economic struggles depict his lower social status under Taliban rule. In America, Baba and Amir occupy a lower social class than they did in Afghanistan, but Amir is able to climb the social ladder after going to college and becoming a successful writer. Throughout the novel, characters who occupy lower social classes have relatively difficult jobs and are discriminated against, especially in Afghanistan. Individuals with less social status seem to be more religious and innocent, while characters who come from wealthy families tend to be immoral and selfish. Characters like Ali, Hassan, Wahid, and Farid are caring individuals who act selflessly. Wealthy individuals like Assef, and to a much lesser extent Amir, make selfish decisions which harm others.

What is the tone of Ray Bradbury's "The Pedestrian"?

Ray Bradbury's tone in "The Pedestrian" is cautionary and foreboding. He has taken the reader one hundred years into the future and shown a world in which the machines control the humans. The machines that do the controlling in "The Pedestrian" are the television sets in every home and the robot police car which patrols the residential neighborhoods mainly to make sure that everybody is safe inside. 

Ray Bradbury is more of a fantasy writer than a science-fiction writer or a prophet. He does not seem to take his imaginary picture of the world of 2053 entirely seriously. Some sci-fi writers try to visualize the future with accuracy as well as credibility. But Bradbury never seems too concerned about predicting the actual truth. His pictures of the future seem zany and exaggerated. He has a special horror of technology, which is similar to that expressed by E. B. White in his humorous/serious/horror/sci-fi short story "The Door."

In Bradbury's novel Fahrenheit 451 he has a fire department that sets fires rather than putting them out. In his story "The Veldt," he has a fantastic futuristic house in which the children's playroom harbors real lions and other wild animals, or anything else the children want to imagine. And this technologically fantastic home could be purchased for $30,000! With all its accessories such a home should cost around a hundred-million dollars today, if such a house could ever be built. Bradbury is whimsical. He doesn't care about facts but about coming up with unusual and striking original ideas. He should not be taken too seriously. But he can always be read for pleasure and amusement.

What important events change Jem throughout Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird? What textual evidence shows these events changed Jem?

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, one event that changes Jem is the realization that Arthur (Boo) Radley is reaching out to the children in his own special way.

The first time Jem realizes Arthur is reaching out to the children is the night he and Dill decide to sneak onto the Radley property to try and get a glimpse of Arthur through the window, bringing an unwilling Scout along with them. When shots ring out, the three children flee in terror. During flight, Jem gets his pants caught on the barbed wire fence and must abandon them to escape. At two o'clock in the morning, Jem decides to go back to the Radley property to try to retrieve them. Later, he explains to Scout the surprising condition he found his pants in, which he left "all in a tangle":

When I went back, they were folded across the fence ... They'd been sewed up. Not like a lady sewed 'em, like somethin' I'd try to do. (Ch. 7)

These clues signify that Arthur had sewed up Jem's pants for him in an act of kindness.

During Scout's second grade year, Jem also begins to realize the items he and Scout are finding in the knothole of the oak tree on the Radley lot are actually gifts Arthur is intentionally leaving for the children. The biggest clue is when the children find bars of soap in the knothole that had been carved to look just like the children. Jem knows perfectly well that Arthur is the only one in the neighborhood reputed to have such excellent whittling skills.

As soon as Jem brings himself to realize that Arthur is silently reaching out to the children through gifts and kindness, he decides to leave Arthur a thank-you note in the knothole and is absolutely devastated to find that Arthur's older brother Nathan had filled in the hole with cement. Jem is so devastated he has no way to thank Arthur that it moves him to tears, as Scout notes at the end of Chapter 7.

But, Jem's tears are a sign that he is growing up and has been changed by the experience. His tears signify he feels guilty for having mocked Arthur through the game he and Dill invented and has come to see beyond the rumors and myths surrounding Arthur: Jem has come to see Arthur as a kind and caring person, albeit mysteriously reclusive for reasons of his own.

What is a short and understandable summary of "Goblin Market" by Christina Rossetti?

Laura and Lizzie are two young women who live in the same house and work on a farm. They milk cows every day, make cakes, churn butter, etc. In the evenings, Laura and Lizzie go to the brook and hear the cries of the goblin merchants (salesmen). They try to ignore the lure and temptation of the goblins' products. Lizzie says, "No, no, no; / Their offers should not charm us, / Their evil gifts would harm us.” Laura looks back and succumbs to the temptation. She has no money, so she offers a lock of her hair. She gorges herself on their fruits until she is left only with the rinds and one kernel (seed). 

Lizzie scolds Laura when she returns and reminds her about Jeanie who also ate the goblins' fruits and died from it. Laura has become addicted to the fruit, so she waits for the merchants to return. They do not. Laura tries to plant the seed but nothing grows from it. She can no longer hear the merchants' cries, but Lizzie can. While Laura continues to physically weaken, Lizzie finally decides to meet the merchants. Lizzie takes a silver penny and offers it to them. They try to persuade her to stay and eat with them. Lizzie refuses. They badger and punish her, leaving the fruit juices all over her. She returns and Laura drinks the juice from Lizzie's face and clothes. Instead of being the wonderful juice she had tasted before, it is repulsive to Laura but it cures her of the addiction. It has become an antidote. 

There is certainly an allusion to the Garden of Eden in this poem. The difference here is that there are two women rather than one woman and one man (Adam and Eve). And since Lizzie is able to withstand the temptation, there is the sentiment that the bond between "sisters" is strong, perhaps stronger than that of a marriage. Since the poem illustrates this strong female bond, it has been interpreted by some critics to suggest a pro-feminist message. Some interpretations also suggest a pro-homosexual theme, or at least a critique of heterosexuality, with goblin merchants being men/serpents of temptation. Lizzie is also seen as a Christ figure, withstanding the temptation and challenging merchants (moneylenders). She offers the juice off of herself and this seems like an allusion to the Last Supper. So, there are Christian symbols as well as progressive interpretations in this poem. 

Which details earlier in "The Gift of the Magi" make the surprise ending logical even though it is startling?

O. Henry takes care to introduce the two possessions owned by the young couple that they took great pride in. With tongue-in-cheek hyperbole, the narrator states that Jim's gold watch that he had received from his father, who had received it from his father, was so impressive that it would have made King Solomon himself envious. Similarly, we learn that Della's hair would be sufficient to make the gifts that the Queen of Sheba bestowed on Solomon pale in comparison. Interestingly, both Jim and Della take great pride in both possessions. Therefore, when Della sells her hair to purchase a chain for Jim's watch, we might surmise (if we had thought of it) that he would be buying something to enhance the great treasure that was Della's that both of them prized, that is, something for her hair.

The other clue we get early in the story that makes the ending logical is the impression that the two young newlyweds are deeply in love with each other. Della wants to buy a gift for Jim that is "something just a little bit near to being worthy of the honor of being owned by Jim." This shows that she idolizes him, and for her to revere him that much, chances are he loves her with a similar devotion. Knowing, then, how much they love each other and how much pride each takes in the other's treasure, it is very logical that each one would sacrifice what was most important to him or her to buy the best present possible for the other.

In which chapter does Mayella Ewell tend to her geraniums, and which chapter tells mainly about her and her background?

We learn about Mayella Ewell when the trial starts.  A description of the Ewell home is given in Chapter 17. It is a very run down property.

"The varmints had a lean time of it, for the Ewells gave the dump a thorough gleaning every day, and the fruits of their industry (those that were not eaten) made the plot of ground around the cabin look like the playhouse of an insane child...” (pg 170)

However, there were some red geraniums growing in one corner of the yard,

“...cared for as tenderly as if they belonged to Miss Maudie Atkinson...People said they were Mayella Ewell’s” (pg 171).

The reader learns about Mayella in Chaper 18.  This is when Mayella is called to the stand to testify against Tom Robinson.  Scout gives some background information she knows from living in Maycomb, and Mayella is asked some personal questions by Atticus to give the jury some background information.  Mayella is 19 years old and is the oldest of seven children.  Her mother is deceased.  She has two to three years of formal schooling and can read and write as well as her father, which isn’t saying much. They were on welfare, but the check wasn’t enough to feed the family, and her father was a drunk . They had to haul water from a spring that ran near their home, and they used old tires to make shoes when they needed them.  Mayella has no friends and when asked why by Atticus, Mayella thinks Atticus was making fun of her.  All of this information can be found on page 183 of the book. 

In The Scarlet Letter why did they believe in public punishment for Hester Prynne?

The government in the colonies was theocratic, autocratic, and patriarchal. This means that it was centered around the rules established by the Bible (theocratic), which would be regulated by the colony's own government system (autocratic), and led mainly by selected, male individuals that serve as guides and watchers of the people (the magistrates, elders, governors, and reverends). This is the type of government that we see in The Scarlet Letter.

Along with the theocratic and patriarchal government, the autocratic rules determined by the magistrates decide which consequences best fit a crime. In the book History of American Law, Lawrence M. Friedman writes that,

"The earliest criminal codes mirrored the nasty, precarious life of pioneer settlements."

He cites the statute of limitations that was in practice in Jamestown titled  "Articles, Lawes and Orders Divine, Politique, and Martiall for the Colony in Virginia,". This document was published by the Virginia Company of London in 1611. 

These "articles, laws, and divine, martial and political orders" were nothing but tyranny embodied. Punishments included hanging, starvation, burning, breaking bones on the wheel, chasing down people with a whip, and even chaining people down.

Lesser-type punishments included public dunking (on a pond or lake), wearing objects on your body, namely, neck, mouth, head, or feet. Public humiliation, included allowing people to yell, sneer, and even throw things at those standing at the scaffold. These were also ways to break the sinner to the point of personal disgrace. 

This being said, Hester Prynne gets was to wear a red letter "A" on her chest, going to prison, and standing at the scaffold. Those are relatively diminutive consequences compared to what the colonists were capable of deciding. Chapter 2 tells us more about it:

...this scaffold constituted a portion of a penal machine, [...]held, in the old time, to be as effectual an agent in the promotion of good citizenship, as ever was the guillotine among the terrorists of France"

Therefore, public humiliation was a way to enter the psyche of citizens, break them from the inside out, and ingrain in them a deep sense of shame that will serve as a lesson for, both, the law-breaker, and the other citizens.

"In Hester Prynne's instance however, as not infrequently in other cases, here sentence bore, that she should stand a certain time upon the platform, but without undergoing that gripe about the neck and confinement of the head" 

Again, public humiliation was considered pretty harsh, as it was. Hester was extremely lucky that she was not further shamed by being made to wear the neck gripe, or having to be on her knees with her hands sticking out two holes, along with her head. Presumably, Dimmesdale's intervention was responsible for avoiding the bad to go worse.

Even the "goodwives"in chapter 2 agree that they would have rather killed Hester, or branded the scarlet letter on her head with a hot iron. Charming. Regardless, the important thing to keep in mind is that humiliation was as bad then as it would be now for those who are prone to anxiety. It was a mechanism of terror to show the parishioners all that could happen to whoever breaks the law- at every and any level. 

In "The Birds," how do the BBC radio announcements create suspense as the story progresses?

The BBC radio announcements create suspense because they decrease in frequency over the course of the story. The day after the birds first attack, for example, the BBC airs an announcement from the Home Office which informs people how to protect themselves. This reassures people like Nat and creates a sense of national unity. A further announcement is made later in the day which, again, makes people feel as though the government is being pro-active and trying to help.

Suddenly, however, the radio announcements cease without any warning. This is suggestive of two things: firstly, that something major has happened in London, the capital city, and, secondly, that the government is unable to provide an effective solution against the birds. As Du Maurier never reveals why the radio announcements stop, the reader is left in a state of uncertainty and this is very effective in creating suspense.

What instances of repetition can be found in "The Story of an Hour"? What is the significance of this repetition?

Much of the repetition of words or phrases in the story serves to reinforce Louise Mallard's sense of her new freedom.

The word "open" is used multiple times: the window in Louise's bedroom is "open," and the square which it overlooks is "open" too.  The narrator describes the way in which Louise imagines her life after her husband's funeral, and "beyond that bitter moment [was] a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely.  And she opened and spread her arms out to them in welcome."  This line certainly connects the repetition of the word "open" to Louise's joy and new independence.  Suddenly, there are so many possibilities for Louise whereas when her husband was alive, she felt that there were not.  The narrator tells us that the lines her in face "bespoke repression," but there is nothing to repress her now.  Her future is wide "open."

Louise herself also repeats the word "free" three times initially, and then later, she says, "'Free!  Body and soul free!'"  Her repetition of these words tells us exactly what she's thinking as she looks out the window at all the signs of new spring life around her.  She is reveling in the seemingly limitless possibilities her life holds now that it is untethered from her husband.

Just before she opened the door to go back downstairs, "She breathed a quick prayer that life might be long.  It was only yesterday she had thought with a shudder that life might be long."  The repetition of the phrase "that life might be long" emphasizes how it used to be such a frightening prospect when she lacked freedom and autonomy and how quickly it has become a desired wish now that she has them.

Taken together, the story's repetition emphasizes Louise's joy at her newfound freedom and all the possibilities she sees for her future now that she believes that she, alone, will determine its direction.  Ironically, the doctors said she was killed by her joy at seeing her supposedly-dead husband walk through the door; in reality it was the too-fast termination of her joy that stopped her heart.

What happened during 1963-1968 to cause the comeback of the U.S. economy?

Following the 1958 recession, the economy was sluggish at the beginning of John F. Kennedy's presidency (he took office in 1961). Unemployment remained at about 6%, and the stock market had lost a great deal of its value. Worried about the 1964 election, Kennedy decided to drastically lower corporate and personal taxes in 1963 (the bill was signed into law in 1964 after his death), and the economy began to expand on its own. 

After Lyndon Johnson assumed the presidency in 1963 when Kennedy was sadly killed, he declared a War on Poverty that concentrated government resources on reducing poverty. While poverty had fallen from 1947 to 1956, the rate of Americans in poverty, particularly African-Americans, had begun to stagnate. From 1965 to 1968, government spending on the poor doubled, and services such as Head Start, job-training and placement programs, medical care, and Legal Services provided services to the poor in their communities. Johnson also created the health care programs Medicaid and Medicare. These programs provided a safety net for the needy.

In part because of this spending, and in part because of the booming national economy, poverty declined to a great extent during Johnson's presidency. However, after 1968, some of these programs were terminated when Nixon was elected president, while other programs continued. An economic crisis in 1968, partly caused by spending on domestic programs and spending on the Vietnam War, brought an end to the expansion of the United States economy. The costs of the War on Poverty, along with spending on the escalation of the war in Vietnam, were too hard to maintain without increasing taxes, and inflation resulted.

What 'loss' does the poet refer to in Tintern Abbey?

"Tintern Abbey" is a both a classic example of Romanticism and a classic example of Wordsworth's artistic aesthetic. It contains extensive reflections on not only the beauty of nature, but also its sustaining power, as Wordsworth meditates on the ways in which memories of his youthful adventures in nature have kept him company during his adult wanderings.

The "loss" that Wordsworth refers to is therefore the loss of his youthful innocence, especially as it is reflected in his boyhood adventures. However, while there is certainly a sense of bittersweetness present in this realization (Wordsworth is, after all, sitting all by himself in the middle of nowhere in a rather forlorn fashion), the poet actually views this loss as a relatively positive process. Indeed, Wordsworth says "for such loss... abundant recompense." It becomes clear that this "abundant recompense" is his adult intellect, his poetic power, and his more mature outlook on things. As such, though Wordsworth certainly looks back on his past with nostalgia, he still seems to look forward to his future with anticipation. 

What is a symbol in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird that represents courage? What conflict in To Kill a Mockingbird represents courage?

One symbol found in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird is a tree. Throughout the ages, trees have been noted for their strength and beauty. Trees stand tall, towering into the sky; many of them also stand strong and able to withstand inclement weather, fire, a variety of illnesses, and live for hundreds of years. For these reasons, trees are associated with inner and physical strength and everlasting life. Trees also bear fruit needed to nurture and renew life. For this reason, trees can also be associated with rebirth and rejuvenated life.

A display of courage is a display of both inner and physical strength because courage cannot be enacted upon without strength. Often times, a person has to visualize himself/herself anew, to see himself/herself as a different person in order to act courageously. Hence, we can easily see how trees that represent strength and renewed life can also represent courage. The oak tree in particular is known to symbolize courage and power because it is known to be one of the most resilient trees of them all.

Interestingly, in her narrative, Scout describes that "two live oaks" stand on the Radley property, "at the edge of the Radley lot" (Ch. 4). In a knot-hole in one of these oak trees, Scout and Jem begin finding presents. In Chapter 4, the first present found is two wrapped pieces of chewing gum; the second is an aluminum-covered ring box containing two pennies dated 1906. Later in Chapter 7, they discover a ball of gray string. The most impressive present they find in the knot-hole of the oak tree is two white bars of soap, carefully carved to look exactly like Jem and Scout. Jem becomes convinced that it is actually Arthur Radley, called Boo Radley by the children, who is leaving gifts for the children, as if Arthur is trying to reach out to them and connect with them in Arthur's own special way. Just when Jem and Scout think to leave a thank you note in the knot-hole, they are devastated to find the hole filled in with cement. Arthur's father, Mr. Nathan Radley says he filled it with cement because the tree was dying, but Jem is convinced the tree is perfectly healthy and that Mr, Radley really did it to keep Arthur from continuing to contact the children. Jem is so devastated by these realizations that he cries.

If Arthur truly was the one leaving the children gifts in the knot-hole, as all evidence points to, then Arthur would have had to sneak out of his house and cross his yard in order to do it. Since he has been forbidden to leave his house for a number of years, his leaving his house for the sake of connecting with the children is a genuine display of courage.

Hence, as we can see, Harper Lee is using the oak tree with the knot-hole to symbolize Arthur Radley's hidden and developing courage.

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

It could be argued that Victor Frankenstein is the "father" of the monster, since Victor crafts the monster out of scavenged body parts and uses his study of the occult to bring his creation to life. The monster did not ask to "be born" or to live just as children don't ask to be born of their parents. Most parents would likely agree that once a child is born, it is the responsibility of the parents to raise, care for, protect, and guide the child until the child is able to care for oneself and live as a productive adult. You don't have to dig too far into research in the social sciences to encounter many examples of how a child's development is negatively impacted by being abandoned or neglected by either parent, though the effects of a father abandoning/neglecting a son are a special subset both in literature and in psychology/sociology.

If you agree that a father should be both a role model for his children and also be responsible for guiding them towards a moral compass of what constitutes right versus wrong, then consider the significance of Victor's reaction to the creation of his monster. When he sees that his experiment was successful, he grows instantly repulsed and rejects and abandons the monster to the world. When we later meet the monster again (after it has murdered members of Victor's family), we learn that it was not born evil but rather as it attempted to learn the ways of the world and to find friends and community, the monster turned bitter after experiencing rejection, fear, violence, and loneliness. The monster comes to hate Victor for bringing him into the world and not sticking around to help him navigate all the pitfalls of life. The monster was not born a monster, but rather its experiences of abuse and neglect turned it monstrous. Of course, Victor's failures as a "father" come back to haunt him as the monster continues to systematically murder Victor's loved ones.

The second part of this question leads a reader to think that perhaps Mary Shelley felt abandoned or unsupported by her own father, the philosopher William Godwin. Shelley's mother (the feminist Mary Wollstonecraft) died shortly after Shelley's birth, and Shelley reportedly didn't get along with her stepmother. Shelley's adult life was also riddled with tragedy, which may have factored into the "failed father" theme. Her husband, the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, drowned during a sailing trip, leaving their then 3-year old son without a father for the rest of his upbringing.

What was Henry James' purpose of writing "The Real Thing"?

"The Real Thing" is a short story by Henry James. As a work of fiction, it doesn't have a "purpose" in the sense a persuasive essay does of trying to persuade someone of something, nor do we have the ability to read James' mind to discover what he was thinking as he composed the story. We do know that James was a professional writer and earned his living from his writing. Thus, one of his motives for writing was simply to earn money.

The story itself is a sort of parable about the nature of art. While James considered himself a realist in representing the details of life as it actually happens, he also argues in his essay, "The Art of Fiction", that literary works are reality as it is filtered through a writer's sensibility and crafted to convey an impression to a reader. In this essay, James also sets out many parallels between writing and painting.

In "The Real Thing", an artist is approached by Major and Mrs. Monarch who want to work as models. They are a well-bred couple who are actually the sort of people who appear in the artist's portraits. The artist's current models are a cockney girl and Italian vagrant. When the artist tries to use the Manners as models though, he discovers that they are worse at modeling than professional models who are not "the real thing". Here, James is suggesting, through an analogy with painting, the need for artifice and craft in all forms of art. Thus the story suggests that a writer simply transcribing everyday conversation would not produce realistic dialogue, but something awkward and aesthetically lacking, just as the artist fails to produce good work when he uses "the real thing" instead of professional models. 

Are tidal predictions 100 percent accurate? Explain.

Tide predictions are not 100% accurate. The predictions are done on the basis of astronomical effects. However, factors such as rainfall, wind, freshwater runoff and other events are not accounted for in the prediction and hence the actual tides may vary from the predicted tide levels. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is the agency that predicts the tides in United States. According to NOAA, the accuracy of tidal predictions for outer coast stations is much higher than that for inland stations. This is because of the effect of local meteorological events on the inland stations, as compared to coastal stations (which are not as much affected by similar events). Another region of low accuracy of tidal predictions is shallow waters. 

According to NOAA, for year 2013, the average error between predictions and observations was within 0.147 m.

Hope this helps. 

"Too many people spend money they haven't earned, to buy things they don't want, to impress people that they don't like.” Explain the successes...

This answer is almost completely a matter of opinion.  This is because there is no way to objectively determine which aspects of a culture are a “success” and which are a “failure.”  Aspects of culture are good and bad only as seen from a given observer’s perspective.

One possible answer is to say that consumerist culture has succeeded because it has helped to bring a higher material standard of living to people all over the world.  If it were not for consumerist culture, people would not want to have as many material goods.  If people did not want as many material goods, companies would have less incentive to create new goods because they would be less likely to make money by selling them.  This might have meant that things like smart phones that have an impact on our quality of life might never have been invented.  Thus, consumerism helps to create the demand that gives companies an incentive to make the products that increase our material quality of life.

A possible way to describe the failures of this culture is to say that it has lost sight of what is important in human life.  In many cultures, dedication to institutions like religion and family is declining.  People no longer build a strong sense of community between themselves and others who live around them.  They care more about gaining possessions than they do about having relationships with other people.  They feel that the greatest imperative in life is to gain material possessions, not to be moral people who treat others well.  All of these are seen by some as important ways in which consumerist culture has failed.

Who inspired Gandhi?

One of the people who inspired the Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi was the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, with whom Gandhi corresponded for many years. This correspondence is contained in Letters from One: Correspondence (and more) of Leo Tolstoy and Mohandas Gandhi. Tolstoy was a believer in the power of non-violence in resistance movements, and he rejected belief systems built on violence. Tolstoy also believed in the essential power of love over the ideologies of violence that many leaders subscribed to, and these beliefs influenced the way Gandhi led his resistance movement against British rule.

In addition, Gandhi was inspired by Raychandbhai, a Jain poet and philosopher. He was Gandhi's spiritual guide, and the two corresponded when Gandhi was living in South Africa. Ruskin, the British art historian, also influenced Gandhi. Ruskin's book Unto this Last had a profound effect on Gandhi. The book spoke of the moral unjustness of economic inequality and the unspiritual nature of modern methods of production. Ruskin believed work had a spiritual component and that modern work was often unjust and dehumanizing. Ruskin's ideas had a profound impact on Gandhi's economic ideas.

From the short story "Rappaccini's Daughter," what inferences can you make about Beatrice and the garden?

Both Beatrice and the garden are poisonous. This much is obvious. But both are also innocent. The garden is clearly not a conscious being with malicious intent. It just happens to be beautiful and deadly. Beatrice is also innocent. She has no malicious intent. She just happens to be beautiful and deadly, like the garden, through no fault of her own. 

Rappaccini has created what we might call a reverse Garden of Eden. Instead of healthy plants as God had created, Rappaccinni has created poisonous ones. Instead of starting with a man (Adam), Rappaccinni has started with a woman. And Rappaccinni is in opposition to a benevolent God. Rappaccinni has not created a paradise for his daughter. He's created a prison; therefore, something more like Hell in the disguise of a Heavenly garden. The narrator makes it clear that the garden (flower in particular) and Beatrice are similar: 

Flower and maiden were different, and yet the same, and fraught with some strange peril in either shape. 

Beatrice refers to the shrubs and flowers as "sisters." She seems to have sympathy and/or empathy with these beautiful and deadly plants because they share the same predicament. She and the garden are marked by these paradoxical notions of immortal beauty and death. So, there is this sense of evil juxtaposed to heavenly beauty. But neither Beatrice nor the garden are inherently evil. They represent the folly of a man who tries to be God. Beatrice and the garden are Rappaccinni's creations. He has endeavored to be like God in creating an immortal and beautiful world for his daughter. Beatrice and the garden are symbols of temptation, but both are innocent in and of themselves. It is Rappaccinni that imbues them with evil and death. 

What details are necessary in order to retell the trip on the longboat from the perspective of Goodwife Cruff?

Goodwife Cruff was shocked that Kit jumped in the water and did not drown.

The detail to remember is that Goodwife Cruff did not approve of Kit’s actions.  Kit jumped into the water after Prudence’s doll.  This would have been considered scandalous, because the Puritans did not swim.  A person who could swim would be considered a witch.  Kit would have been expected to drown there and then.

Goodwife Cruff would have been shocked and horrified when Kit jumped into the water when Prudence dropped her doll.  The fact that the doll was important to the child would not have had any effect on her.  She was not the sympathetic mother type.

Kit has no idea of any of this, until Nat explains it to her.

Kit wrinkled up her nose. "Ugh," she exclaimed, "that sour face of hers will curdle my food."

Nat laughed shortly. "'Tis certain she expects you will curdle hers," he answered. "She has been insisting to my father that you are a witch. She says no respectable woman could keep afloat in the water like that." (Ch. 1)

Kit and Goodwife Cruff do not get along.  You can tell that Goodwife Cruff is a harsh woman.  She does not really want her daughter to have a doll in the first place.  It was given to the girl.

Goodwife Cruff would have been unhappy about watching Kit.  She says herself that she does not like new people.

Goodwife Cruff halted and glared at Kit. "I'll thank you to let my child alone!" she spat out. "We do not welcome strangers in this town, and you be the kind we like least." Jerking Prudence nearly off her feet, she marched firmly up the dirt road and disappeared in the fog. (Ch. 1)

To Goodwife Cruff, Kit is dangerous.  Even without jumping in the frigid water, which must seem crazy, Kit wears fancy dresses and is too spunky for a girl.  She does not behave properly.  She also fraternizes with the sailors.  For all of these reasons, Goodwife Cruff does not want Kit near here daughter.  She fears that some of Kit’s impious ways will rub off on her daughter.

Metaphorically speaking, what does it mean to lead a lamb to the slaughter? Given this, who is the lamb being led to the slaughter in the story and...

The title "Lamb to the Slaughter" is both a biblical allusion and a double (or triple) entendre. A lamb being led to a place where it will be slaughtered goes along without resistance because it is so young and ignorant. The biblical allusion is to Isaiah 53:7 in the Old Testament:

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

Mary Maloney behaves like a lamb up to the point where she succumbs to her pent-up rage and "slaughters" her husband Patrick with the leg of lamb she happens to be holding. 

Patrick might be compared to a lamb being slaughtered because he has his back turned to Mary and never knows what hit him.

The leg of lamb itself is a lamb going to the slaughter, since it slaughters Patrick.

So the title is intentionally ambiguous and subject to multiple interpretations, while the allusion to Isaiah 53:7 is appropriate in a humorous way because of the three ways in which it applies. Mary is like a lamb. She uses a lamb to kill her husband. Patrick is totally unsuspecting, like a lamb, because he never would suspect that his meek, devoted wife would be capable of such violence. Furthermore, since he has his back turned to her, he doesn't even know she is holding a big piece of frozen meat that could become a lethal blunt instrument.

The title is very appropriate because the whole plot is about how a woman kills her husband with a frozen leg of lamb and then gets rid of the murder weapon by cooking it and feeding it to the police officers who are investigating her husband's murder. It is the lamb that makes the story unique.

What is Ms. Strangeworth's motivation for writing the letters she does?

Miss Strangeworth is obviously somewhat insane. This makes it hard to understand her motivation. She probably does not understand it herself. There are several plausible reasons why she writes her anonymous letters.

• It makes her feel important to be supervising the people in her town and to be offering suggestions, warnings, and advice. 

  I now perceive an immense omission in my psychology: the deepest principle of human nature is the craving to be appreciated.
  William James

  
  

  To be a human being means to possess a feeling of inferiority, which constantly presses towards its own conquest....The greater the feeling of inferiority that has been experienced, the more powerful is the urge for conquest and the more violent the emotional agitation.
  Alfred Adler

  
  The author Shirley Jackson shows that Miss Strangeworth attaches great importance to her social status. She feels responsible for the morality of the whole community. The problem is that she is really not important at all. She is just a little old lady who is sometimes a busybody and sometimes a nuisance. The way she demands special attention from Mr. Lewis the proprietor of the grocery store shows her need to feel important.


• She enjoys writing these letters. She enjoys picking out the colors of the sheets and envelopes. She enjoys creating just the right words and tones.


• She is envious and jealous because she has never been married, never had a baby, never felt loved. She is a little like Emily Grierson in William Faulkner's short story "A Rose for Emily." The victims of Miss Strangeworth's poison-pen letters always have someone to care about and to care about them. Don and Helen Crane have a six-months-old baby girl they adore. Linda Stewart and Dave Harris are high school kids in love. Mrs. Harper has a husband. Mr. Lewis has a grandson. And so on. Assuming Miss Strangeworth is insane, she must have a split personality. One part of her doesn't understand that her letters are causing troubles all over town, while there must be another part of her that knows why she is writing these letters but doesn't like to acknowledge her motives even to herself. The fact that she has to remain anonymous in her letters suggests that she knows she is doing something evil and has to keep her rancor a secret.

Who is the main character or hero in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar?

An argument could be made that the main character, or protagonist, and hero of the Tragedy of Julius Caesar is Caesar himself. After all, the play's title is eponymous and normally, when Shakespeare named the play after the main character, for example Macbeth, Hamlet, Henry V, to name a few, the character is also the hero. This is not the case in Julius Caesar. Even though the play is named after Caesar, the tragic hero of the play is Brutus.

The definition of the tragic hero as outlined by Aristotle can be paraphrased thus:

1. A person of high birth or rank

2. The character has a tragic flaw that causes his/her downfall

3. The character recognizes that his/her downfall is caused by his/her tragic flaw

4. The audience experiences a catharsis, meaning pity or fear felt because of the hero's fate.

Brutus is a person of high rank because he is a senator, but also because he is considered Caesar's best friend.

In Act I, Scene ii, Cassius explains Caesar's feelings for Brutus and him:

"Caesar doth bear me hard; but he loves Brutus:" (I.ii)

Brutus's tragic flaw has been described in a number of different ways. Often it is explained that Brutus's flaw is his loyalty to Rome, but, on some level, Brutus's flaw is one of pride. He knows that Caesar means to become a dictator and even a king and that he will take the power away from the senators, thereby causing Rome to become a monarchy rather than a democracy. Brutus firmly believes in the will of the Roman people and that he is their servant, not Caesar's. But his pride is in the fact that he, Brutus, feels he knows what is best for the people of Rome and allows himself to be convinced by Cassius's hamfisted efforts to get him to join the conspiracy against Caesar. Cassius's dislike of Caesar is more personal than political and he manipulates Brutus to help him achieve his aims out of a sense of revenge, not sacrifice. While there is a small minority of Romans who resent Caesar's grab for power, indicated by the tribunes Flavius and Marullus and by the other conspirators, the bulk of the Roman people, the commoners, love Caesar greatly and seem to welcome the idea of Caesar becoming king. On some level, the conspirators are upset because they themselves will lose power when Caesar gains all control; so, it is merely a power struggle. 

At Caesar's funeral, Brutus describes his motivation:

"If then that friend demand
why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer:
--Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved
Rome more. Had you rather Caesar were living and
die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live
all free men? As Caesar loved me, I weep for him;
as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was
valiant, I honour him: but, as he was ambitious, I
slew him." (III.ii)

After Mark Antony turns the fickle Roman people against Brutus and the other conspirators, Brutus begins to suffer his downfall. The mob attacks the conspirators’ houses. Many senators die and Brutus and Cassius barely escape Rome with their lives. Brutus and Cassius gather together an army, though Antony's forces greatly outnumber them. While on the battlefield, Brutus receives word that his wife, Portia, has committed suicide. He explains how to his friend and brother-in-law Cassius (Portia's brother):

BRUTUS 
Impatient of my absence,
And grief that young Octavius with Mark Antony
Have made themselves so strong:--for with her death
That tidings came;--with this she fell distract,
And, her attendants absent, swallow'd fire.

CASSIUS 
And died so?

BRUTUS 
Even so. (IV. iii)

Finally, as the war begins to turn, and Brutus's and Cassius's soldiers begin to abandon their posts and join Antony and Octavius's forces, Cassius commits suicide, wrongly believing that Brutus has been captured and killed. Upon finding out the news that his last friend and ally is dead, Brutus himself decides to end his life. But before this, Brutus acknowledges that he has caused his own downfall and regrets killing Caesar. His last words are:

"Caesar, now be still:
I kill'd not thee with half so good a will." (V. v)

The audience experiences pity for Brutus because he among all the conspirators believed that he was killing Caesar for the good of Rome. But because he allowed himself to be convinced by Cassius's lies, he has lost his best friend, his wife, and now has paid the final price for his pride. Antony articulates this pity in his final speech:

ANTONY 
This was the noblest Roman of them all:
All the conspirators save only he
Did that they did in envy of great Caesar;
He only, in a general honest thought
And common good to all, made one of them.
His life was gentle, and the elements
So mix'd in him that Nature might stand up
And say to all the world 'This was a man!' (v. v)

Brutus fits all the characteristics of the archetype of the tragic hero.

All quotations from Julius Caesar were taken from The Literature Network at:

http://www.online-literature.com/shakespeare/julius_caesar/

How did the Industrial Revolution change the world beyond what anyone could have imagined?

Few developments in the history of the world have had more far-reaching implications than the Industrial Revolution. As mechanization replaced labor in rural areas, people moved to the cities to work in factories (urbanization.) The populations of industrial countries grew exponentially as did wealth. As industrial countries demanded raw materials for manufacturing, they looked outside of their borders and colonized other lands. This drove the spread of Western political, cultural, and economic institutions to other lands. It also led to warfare, including two world wars that cost hundreds of millions of lives.

The Industrial Revolution also led to dangerous working conditions and unfair wages for low-skilled workers. As a result, of these conditions, labor unions, and socialism developed. A new system of economics, communism, was devised to counteract the uneven distribution of wealth that emerged in industrial economies.

A new wave of technology followed the Industrial Revolution. Innovations that had the greatest impact on society, and were directly related to industrialism, included railway transportation, electricity, telecommunications, and the assembly line.

How do you give written credit in APA, to an author when you are paraphrasing an article, without turning the paraphrasing sentence into an in-text...

When using the information or ideas of another source in a paper, you must always cite the source.  American Psychological Association (APA) style is a standard citation style for social sciences.  Paraphrasing with any citation style can be difficult, but it must include an in-text citation.  The style of citation will vary depending on how you, the author, introduce the original work.

To avoid using any parenthesis in your paper, you will need to introduce the author, title and year of the originally published information.  This is the only way to avoid any in-text citation markings.  For example: 

"Microbiologist Larry Sten argues in his 1999 book Crossing Over, animal species...".

You can also cite just the author, but you will need to include the year in parenthesis:

"Microbiologist Larry Sten (1999) argues...".

Paraphrasing and summarization of published material is a very difficult line to balance.  To keep from falling into plagiarism you need to avoid using too many words matching the original authors.  This includes uncommon phrases or descriptive phrases.  It should be noted page numbers are not required in APA style, but you may want to use them to help the reader pinpoint the exact location in a large work.

"Microbiologist Larry Sten (1999, pg. 456) argues...". 

Regardless of how you introduce the information in the main body of the paper, you must include the proper citation in the Works Cited or Bibliography page!

How does the setting reinforce Mrs. Mallard's feelings after she learns about the death of her husband?

In this very short story by Kate Chopin, there are several examples of how the setting reinforces the way Mrs. Mallard feels after she learns about her husband's death. At the opening of the story, Mrs. Mallard is told by her sister and friend that her husband has been killed in a train accident. After learning this news, Mrs. Mallard retreats to an empty room. 

Almost immediately, we begin to see signs of the setting reinforcing and reflecting her mood through specific imagery. A "comfortable, roomy" armchair accepts her shocked body. She looks out the window and sees that the trees are "all aquiver with new spring life," the air smells like rain, and the birds are singing. These details about spring are important because spring is the season of renewal; Mrs. Mallard's life is changing, like winter changes to spring, because she feels free and new after her husband's death. 

As she contemplates her changed situation, she regularly returns to view the "patches of blue sky" she sees through the window, suggesting she feels peaceful and hopeful since blue is the color of peace. Then Mrs. Mallard feels that something is approaching her—something she cannot name—"creeping out of the sky, reaching toward her through the sounds, the scents, the color that filled the air." Her apprehension about her future—a future without the constraints of her present life—is reflected in the swirl of sounds, smells, and colors outside her window.

Finally, that open window represents all of the wonderful possibilities of a future without her husband. Near the end of the story, just before the surprising arrival of her husband, the narrator tells us that Mrs. Mallard is "drinking in a very elixir of life" through this window. An "elixir" is a magical potion, so in this sense the window is offering her a delicious, welcome change in the same way her new life as a widow is welcome and full of delicious possibilities. 

In this story, then, the room to which she retreats and the world she sees outside her window reveal Mrs. Mallard's inner thoughts at the same time they reinforce them through imagery.

In The Way To Rainy Mountain, what does the author compare the prairie in the summer to?

In The Way To Rainy Mountain, the author compares the prairie in the summer to an 'anvil's edge.'

Traditionally, anvils were metal blocks used as forging tools. Today, many blacksmiths still use anvils to form horseshoes and other types of tools/weapons. The metal (to form the horseshoe) has to be heated so that it is malleable enough to shape. Have you ever heard of the saying 'strike while the iron is hot?' When the iron is cool, it becomes brittle and difficult to shape. Among other things, an anvil's edge can be used to make clips on horseshoes (some people believe that clips make the horseshoe fit and stay better on the horses' hoofs). Of course, the horseshoe will have to be heated so that it is malleable enough to make the forming of clips possible. Watch this short video here to see how it's done:

The idea here is that the horseshoe is being pummeled by a hammer on the anvil's edge. It's a pretty hot area temperature-wise, and you probably don't want to touch it with your bare fingers. In the story, Momaday equates the prairie to an anvil's edge on a summer's day. He's telling us how hot it gets at Rainy Mountain in the summer. The next sentence gives us an idea of how hot:

The grass turns brittle and brown, and it cracks beneath your feet.

He provides further imagery in case we are still wondering how hot it gets in the prairie in the summer:

At a distance in July or August the steaming foliage seems almost to writhe in fire.

So, the author is trying to tell us that it gets so hot in the prairie in summer that one might as well be on an anvil's edge.

What is the first chapter of Field Notes from a Catastrophe about?

The first chapter of Field Notes from a Catastrophe deals with the impacts of global warming. Alaska is the main focus of the chapter as it deals with the effects of global warming on a local Inupiat tribe and the observable impacts on the environment for residents of Alaskan cities such as Fairbanks. Also covered in this chapter is early research into global warming as well as current measurements. 

The first portion of the chapter deals with the Inupiat of Shishmaref Island. The author discusses how the water levels are rising due to the warmer weather preventing protective ice from forming. Also, the traditional way of life that was formed around seal hunting has become more difficult to sustain as the thick ice used for transportation by snowmobile and dogsled have melted and become dangerous and impassable. The result of this is a $180 million plan by the United States government to relocate the tribe.

The chapter later addressed the changes seen by residents residing even in populated cities of Alaska, specifically mentioning Fairbanks. This includes a drastic increase in the number of wildfires caused by warmer, dryer weather. Further home and land destruction has also been caused due to the melting of glacial ice formations and partial thawing of permafrost. 

While pointing out the effects of global warming, the chapter also delves into the science of proving that global warming exists. First, there is a discussion of the early research into global warming and how the warning were largely ignored for decades. Then the author uses discussions with experts to discuss current measurements for global warming including the analysis of permafrost.

In Discipline and Punish: The Birth of The Prison, by Michel Foucault; How is the work presented as a genealogical research project that reveals...

For Foucault,  a "genealogy" embeds philosophy within a context of history and political power. Philosophical concepts and constructs simply don't float in a timeless ether: they are constructed in a particular period of history in response to the needs of those in power. Foucault owes a debt to Nietzsche and Marx in this "historicizing" of philosophical thought.

In Discipline and Punish, Foucualt turns on its head the idea that we have "progressed" and become more humane in our treatment of prisoners. His book is genealogical because it moves through history as it looks at both people incarcerated for crime and for mental illness. In both, he sees a dangerous trend on the part of the state in the last few centuries. The state has gone from a medieval/Renaissance control of the body, represented by simply putting a person suffering from mental illness in chains (or leading a criminal to a scaffold) to an attempt to control a mentally unbalanced or criminally convicted person's mind. Controlling the body is what Foucault calls "punishment," whether enacted on a "madman" or a criminal--it is the state's visible display of power over the bodies of its citizens. It is tied to particular historical epochs and to monarchial power, where the "body" of the king represents the state's power. 

While we see chaining up the "insane" as barbaric, Foucault understood it as leaving an individual free in his mental state--free to be who is, a chaining of the body but not a chaining of the soul. In contrast, experiments that began in the late 18th century to force people into isolation to think about and learn to self-censor their thoughts is a much more powerful form of control than merey chaining or killing a body. Getting inside a person's mind attempts to own an individual, body and soul. It is not a sign of "progress." In fact, Foucualt argeus passionately, it is more barbaric than the chains. Foucault dwells in great detail on Bentham's proposed Panopticon, a prison designed to maximize surveillance and to convince the prisoner he is under constant surveillance. Knowing he may be watched all the time, the prisoner will constantly self-regulate his behavior. Getting the imprisoned to self-regulate and self-censor according to needs and desires of those in power is what Foucalt called "discipline." It is an invisible form of power. 

"Punishment" and "discipline" are genealogical because they are tied to particular periods of history and particular forms of state power that have gone from the visible displays of punishment to the invisible controls of discipline.

Describe the long-term consequences of the Bubonic Plague for the Afro-Eurasian world.

The Bubonic Plague, also known as the Black Death, was a devastating epidemic that occurred during the fourteenth century that wiped out large portions of the populations of Northern, Eastern and Western Europe, as well as parts of Asia and northern Africa. Because historical documentation of the disease was much more prevalent in Europe than it was in Asia at the time, it was widely believed that the epidemic must have started in Europe; however evidence points to its origins in China or the central Asian steppes. 

In Hebei province in China, in 1334, the disease wiped out nearly 90% of the population. All told, China was very hard hit by the plague, with the population of this vast country being decimated by more than half; 65 million people out of a total estimated population of 1200 had lost their lives by 1393; and it believed a large portion of these deaths were due to the plague epidemic.

The plague spread quickly in densely-populated urban regions, and those without proper sanitation, because it was carried by the infected fleas found on rats and other rodents. Although it is estimated that roughly half of those people infected could survive the illness, in some regions with harsh weather conditions or low supplies of food, or generally rough living situations (inadequate shelter or water for maintaining hygiene), the mortality rate was much higher.

The social, political and economic implications of the epidemic were enormous. Loss of life meant inability to maintain basic economic structures; loss of people to maintain agricultural practices (farming and animal husbandry, as well as harvesting wild crops such as fruit) meant widespread food shortages. The maintenance of a military presence would have been nearly impossible due to loss of life and destabilization of leadership. Rebuilding the economies of rural villages was slow and difficult, particularly if any of the affected regions were also subject to harsh weather or natural catastrophes such as drought, monsoon or extreme heat or cold. 

The social implications in Europe were tied to religious belief systems; it was thought that the plague was a sign of evil, or a curse brought on by witches; in this way the Black Death sowed the seeds for the witch craze in Europe which continued for hundreds of years, and lasted through the 17th century and beyond. Such beliefs were also common in various other countries, particularly some sections of Africa, where the presence of disease to this day is often linked to accusations of witchcraft and demon worship or possession.

Why did the cartoonist use marriage in the cartoon "Interrupting the Ceremony?

The cartoonist was commenting on the debate over ratifying the Treaty of Versailles, which would have meant membership in the League of Nations. President Woodrow Wilson supported the League (indeed, it was partially his idea) but many of his political opponents opposed it. Political cartoons, of course, use symbolism to make a larger point. Marriage would have been imagined as a permanent and binding institution in the early twentieth century. By showing Uncle Sam marrying a bride with "foreign entanglements" emblazoned on her dress, the artist was saying that the United States was about to permanently involve itself in the affairs of other nations. According to Wilson's critics in the Senate, this was something to be avoided. By using the device of a marriage ceremony, a familiar ritual to all of his readers, the artist is making a critical comment on the debate. He seems to agree with the Senate that involvement in the League of Nations is a bad idea.

In "Harrison Bergeron," why is Hazel, an average person with no handicap to make her "normal," more ready to consider breaking the law than a smart...

In the short story "Harrison Bergeron," George has a very intense handicap. Every ten seconds or so there is an incredibly loud noise played in his ear that disrupts all of his thoughts. Hazel was born incredibly average. She does not need a handicap to keep her thoughts at a fair and even level. She suggests that George remove some of the extra weight he has to carry and just relax because he is at home. George refuses because it is against the law. To answer your question, I feel that Hazel is more likely to suggest breaking the law because she is able to formulate actual thoughts, unlike George who is constantly interrupted. Although Hazel is average, she is at least able to continue on with her thoughts. Due to the fact that all of George's handicaps make Hazel and him equal, they are perhaps both equally as likely to come up with an idea, but George's will be blasted out of his mind by a loud noise before it can become more than just an idea whereas Hazel can continue to voice her ideas. Additionally, George says that he hardly notices the extra weight that he carries around so he does not feel that taking off weight is worth the punishment. Hazel, who has never had to carry extra weight, cannot imagine being able to be comfortable with it, so she makes the suggestion. 

What is an entire sentence from The Wednesday Wars Chapter 12 with the word "bribe" in it?

"And I knew that my father would never bribe the judge." Chapter: September

"And then I look around the courtroom, and there's my father, and I'm thinking 'Maybe he can bribe the judge,' and he says, 'Is everything alright with Mrs. Baker?' and I say, 'Just swell,' and he says, 'Then what did you do?'" Chapter: October

"The only thing worse would have been if she found a way to bribe them to come." Chapter: December

The above three quotes are the only times the word "bribe" is used in the entire novel.  I wish that I could specifically answer your question, but I am confused by what "chapter 12" is referring to.  "The Wednesday Wars" by Gary Schmidt does not contain numbered chapters.  Chapters are identified by the name of each month.  The book begins with "September," and the final month is "June."  The months identify which part of the school year Holling Hoodhood is in.  The final chapter is called "Okay for Now."  If you numbered each chapter, "Okay for Now" is only chapter 11.  Even if you count chapters by number, there is no chapter 12.  The closest of my quotes to a possible chapter 12 is the "December" chapter quote.  I hope that this is enough information to answer your question.  

Explain Odysseus' success in taking the suitors by surprise. What is the purpose of Odysseus' speech in line 34-40? Explain why Eurymachus responds...

With Athena's help, Odysseus is able to return to his palace unrecognized and gauge the loyalty of his suitors. While mingling among them as a beggar, he becomes aware of the fact that the "leaders" of the suitors are the least loyal and this makes him angry; he wants to slay them on the spot. However, this tactic would not prove successful. Through constant encouragement from Athena and support from the loyal swineherd, goatherd, and his son, Odysseus is able to hold his tongue until the time to speak is appropriate.

This occurs in Book XXII: "The Battle in the Hall." After the suitors decide to put the bow away for the day and try to bend it again tomorrow, Odysseus reveals his true identity:"Now Odysseus stript off his rags, and leapt upon the great doorstone, holding the bow and the quiver full of arrows," (lines 1-2).

His success in taking the suitors by surprise is immense, especially in their realization that he meant to kill Antinous and didn't do so accidentally. "Poor fools, they did not realize that the cords of death were made fast about them all." (Book XXII, lines 31-33).

The speech he delivers (lines 34-40) is meant to inform the suitors exactly of his motives and to warn them of their impending doom:

"Dogs! you thought I would never come back from Troy, so you have been carving up my substance, forcing the women to lie with you, courting my wife before I was dead, not fearing the gods who rule the broad heavens, nor the execration of man which follows you for ever. And now the cords of death are made fast about you all!"

Since Antinous (leader of the suitors) is already dead, Eurymachus speaks up in an effort to pacify Odysseus and save his own life by blaming the dead man. He agrees with Odysseus that was he's said is "just and right," but insists the man to blame for these misdeeds is already dead, "But there lies the guilty man, Antinous, who is answerable for everything. He was the ringleader..." (lines 45-47). However, in doing so, he only succeeds in speeding the progression of Odysseus's revenge. "Now the choice lies before you, fight or flight, if you wish to save your lives; but I do not think any one of you will escape sudden death," (lines 62-63).

Odysseus's words are prolific, as he succeeds in avenging their misdeeds and securing ownership of his palace once again.

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, how can one determine if a character is dynamic or static?

A character is dynamic if he or she changes from one attitude or perspective to another throughout the story.  A static character, however, is one who remains constant in his or her attitude or way of thinking. Since To Kill a Mockingbird can be considered a bildungsroman--a coming-of-age story that shows a transformation from innocence to experience--it would be a good idea to look for dynamic changes throughout the book in the younger characters. In order to find static characters, then, look at the adults since they are more likely to be the ones who are already set in their ways and unchanging. However, the two characters who make significant changes to their ways of thinking are Scout and Walter Cunningham, Sr. who also represents his whole clan. Examples of two characters who do not change, though, are Atticus and Mr. Ewell. The following are passages that help to demonstrate each character's dynamic or static qualities:

Scout - Scout starts out as a tomboy who will beat up anyone who insults her. Specifically, she physically threatens Walter Cunningham, Jr., Cecil Jacobs, and her cousin Francis. After all of the experiences of the novel that she goes through, as well as learning from the good role models in her life, Scout evolves into a well-mannered and caring young woman. 

"I carefully picked up the tray and watched myself walk to Mrs. Merriweather. With my best company  manners, I asked her if she would have some. After all, if Aunty could be a lady at a time like this, so could I" (237).

Mr. Cunningham - Walter, Sr. is a symbol for the whole Cunningham family, really, shows up with his extended family members to lynch Tom Robinson the night before the trial. Scout talks him down by talking about her friendship with his son; and luckily, the whole family backs down and leaves. This is a minor change in attitude and a significant start to a change in Walter's as well as the whole family's attitude. The major change comes when a Cunningham holds up the jury for discussion rather than quickly throwing a conviction at Tom Robinson. Atticus tells the kids about this significant change when he says the following: 

"That was the one thing that made me think, well, this may be the shadow of a beginning. That jury took a few hours. An inevitable verdict, maybe, but usually it takes 'em just a few minutes. . . You might like to know that there was one fellow who took considerable wearing down. . . He was one of your Old Sarum friends" (222).

Atticus - Atticus is the symbol of all that is right in the world. He is calm, peaceful, logical, and reasonable. He understands racism is a part of his community and history, but he stands his ground and isn't swayed by popular belief. He has no secrets and never changes throughout the story. Scout's description of her father best shows his stalwart strength:

"Atticus don't ever do anything to Jem and me in the house that he don't do in the yard" (46).

Mr. Ewell - This man is not only Mr. Finch's foil, but a symbol of all hatred and selfishness. He is beyond reason or logic and he is trapped in ignorance and prejudice. Even though he "wins" the trial against Tom Robinson, he doesn't humble himself and treat others better. He learns nothing and changes nothing. When Atticus is teaching the children about Mr. Ewell, he says,

"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. . . but he'll never change his ways" (31).

In Hoot, what type of bicycle does Beatrice ride when she goes to Roy's house to get "science experiment materials?"

After Beatrice rescues Roy from being pulverized by Dana Matherson in the janitor's closet, she steals a bike from the rack at Trace Middle School and has Roy sit on the handle bars. She pedals with Roy on the handle bars to his house where his mother greets them. They get the medical supplies and hamburger, telling Roy's mother the meat is for a science experiment, and bike to the junk yard where the wounded Mullet Fingers is hiding out. After tending to Mullet Fingers's infected arm, the three teens head over to the Mother Paula's construction site, and Mullet Fingers shows them the owls. However, Mullet Fingers becomes dizzy climbing the fence to leave the site, and Beatrice slings him over the handle bars of the bike with Roy running behind. When Officer Delinko spots them, Beatrice ditches the bicycle and runs away carrying Mullet Fingers. Roy pursues them, leaving the policeman to pick up the bike. He brings it with him when he goes to visit Roy's parents. Roy's father says that the bike isn't Roy's, but his mother recognizes it as the one that Roy's friend had been riding. It was a "blue beach-cruiser" model. Before Mrs. Eberhardt can decide whether to admit she has seen the bike before, she gets a call from the emergency room saying her son has been injured.

How are the daffodils described in the poem "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud"?

In “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud,” the speaker dwells on two features of the daffodils that he stumbles upon along the edge of the bay:  their number, and their movement in the breeze.  He describes them first as a “host,” in the sense of a great number, and then states in the second verse that they are “continuous as the stars that shine…They stretched in a never-ending line.”  It is clear that we have a huge number of daffodils on our hands; the speaker notes that there are at least “ten thousand,” likely many more, stretching all along the edge of the bay off into the distance.  This imagery is foolproof and conjures up a field of bright “golden” flowers as far as the eye can see.

In addition, the speaker sees the flowers all “Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.”  There is a sturdy sea-breeze blowing along the water, and the daffodils are all being bent forward and back by its light force.  By being described as dancing, and as having heads, the daffodils are being personified – that is, they are being given human characteristics  -- which reinforces the living quality of nature.  In the next verse, the daffodils “out-did the sparkling waves in glee,” and are then described as “jocund.”  The flowers are, by their color and their movement, exceedingly joyful beings, and raise the spirits of the speaker to such an extent that he thinks of them even when he is at home on his couch, and the memory makes him happy.

The daffodils are described as conscious beings, as living things with the capacity to express happiness, and this gives a purposefulness to nature, and helps to justify its healing quality in the minds of human beings.

How does Abigail Williams cause hysteria, when she accuses Elizabeth Proctor of witchcraft in The Crucible?

One of the most powerful scenes in the play occurs in Act II, scene 1, when the Reverend Hale visit John and Elizabeth Proctor at home. Hale cautions them that Elizabeth's name has been mentioned in court. They are not terribly concerned because John Proctor thinks that everyone will soon become aware of the girls' play-acting and manipulation, as well as the superstitious beliefs that are motivating the proceedings. Hale goes to leave, but John decides to tell him that he knows the girls are not  bewitched; that the Reverend Parris "caught them sporting in the woods" and they became startled and fell ill afterwards.

Soon after Giles Corey arrives, along with Mister Nurse, to tell the Proctors that his own wife has be arrested, as well as Rebecca Nurse (two very pious middle aged women). Corey tells the story of how a man in the village cursed his wife over a bad business transaction (he bought a pig from her and it died when he did not care for it properly, and she said if he did not feed his pigs properly the pigs would not live very long).

Suddenly Mister Cheever arrives, with a warrant for Elizabeth's arrest. The Proctors learn from him that Abigail seemed to fall sick suddenly, and screamed in pain during dinner at the Parris house, and accused Elizabeth of making a poppet and sticking a needle in it. Mary had earlier given Elizabeth a poppet that Abigail had seen her make during the court proceedings. Abigail manipulates the others into thinking she has been cursed and bewitched by Elizabeth, and this escalates the entire situation, enraging John Proctor and motivating him to expose her lies and the sham of the court's proceedings. Abigail knows that her emotional outbursts will excite the other girls and get them to play along in the theatrics; this behavior in turn excites the villagers and creates the atmosphere of hysteria that convinces all of them that witchcraft is afoot.

What are some themes and motifs in The Lucky Chance by Aphra Behn?

Two of the most important themes in the play The Lucky Chance: or, An Alderman's Bargain by Aphra Behn are infidelity and altered identity.

The theme of infidelity is greatly exemplified by Lady Fulbank (who is married to Sir Cautious). This main character has a tryst with Gayman while she hides who she really is. During the tryst, the two sleep together and Lady Fulbank gives Gayman a ring. The next day, Lady Fulbank, now presenting herself as the woman she actually is, questions Gayman about why he was so quick in leaving the party the night before. Here, Gayman gives Lady Fulbank her own ring as a token of his love and goes into an elaborate story about how he was tempted by a lady “devil” who performed in the bedroom like a bag full of “wooden ladles.” Lady Fulbank is amazed at the blatant lie about her sexual prowess. It is at this point that Lady Fulbank’s husband comes in. Lady Fulbank, of course, has already shown infidelity to her husband, and knowing this makes him "cautious." Sir Cautious begins talking to Gayman. Gayman reveals his tryst with a “female devil” and the two argue about money. Gayman, of course, finally reveals himself in his true name of Wastall.

In conclusion, you can see that altered identity is yet another theme here. Both Lady Fulbank and Gayman/Wastall alter their identity . Lady Fulbank alters hers in order to have an adulterous tryst. Wastall becomes Gayman in order to hide his good name while making Sir Cautious a “cuckold.” I find it very interesting to consider infidelity in a completely different century as we are surrounded by it within our own.

In Lord of the Flies, what does the island symbolize?

In The Lord of the Flies, the setting for the story is a tropical island. This island is largely symbolic of the Garden of Eden in its state of perfection prior to the fall of man. The island is described as untouched, and affording bountiful food. It represent the possibility for the boys to create a civilization anew, the potential for the realization of a harmonious state between men and between man and nature.

Just like in the story of the Garden of Eden, we see man failing to recognize this potential, and instead being influenced by the darker side of his nature. As a result the boys are metaphorically cast out from the paradise offered to them and descend into an existence dominated by suffering.

What were some of the the problems faced by Muslim refugees when they came to Pakistan?

After the end of the British occupation of the Indian subcontinent in 1947, Pakistan was declared an independent and sovereign nation and millions of Indian Muslims began immigrating there. Some Muslims who moved to Pakistan were refugees, or Muhajirs, who fled pogroms in India. Muhajirs continued to face difficulties in Pakista, though. Soon after Pakistan gained independence, riots in response to the partition of India and Pakistan and forced migration killed as many as one million civilians on both sides of the border. Additionally, the leadership of prime minister Ayub Khan beginning in the 1950s shifted political and economic power away from Muslim refugees and reduced their job opportunities in government. Khan's predecessor, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, was an ethnic Sindhi who made Sindhi the only official language of Pakistan in 1972, which caused rioting in Muslim communities throughout the state of Sindhi. Since the 1970s, however, Muhajirs have enjoyed improved conditions and increased their class standing, literacy, and political power.

How does Kevin change in Freak the Mighty?

Kevin, one of the main characters in Freak the Mighty goes through a dramatic change that we witness through the eyes of his best friend, Max. While this change is tragic, it allows other characters to grow. 

Kevin, a complete genius, faces physical disabilities in that he is only 3 feet tall and gets around on crutches. Throughout the novel, we notice how many people feel sorry for Kevin - Grim, Gram, and even Max all express their sympathies. One way in which Kevin doesn't change is that he never lets his physical size bother him - he continues doing things that make him happy, eventually taking Max on for the ride as well. 

Kevin enjoys going on adventures, and once their friendship is solidified, Max and Freak go on those adventures together. Truly an example of how opposites attract; however, one could argue they both need to confront their rather different appearances.

Late in the novel, we learn that Kevin dies. This dramatic change that Kevin goes through actually promotes change in other characters. For example, Gwen moves away in an attempt to forget and Tony D. attempts to reconcile with Max. We note the largest change, however, in Max. Kevin leaves behind a blank journal for Max to begin writing down his adventures in order to inspire Max to stay outside of his bedroom and live life to the fullest. By the end, we learn that this is how the story Freak the Mighty was written. The impact that Kevin's friendship with Max and his death have on Max is what inspires the most change in the novel. 

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

The shell has the radius `1 - y` , the cricumference is `2pi*(1 - y)` and the height is `1 - x` , hence, the volume can be evaluated, using the method of cylindrical shells, such that:

`V = 2pi*int_(0)^1 (1 - y)*(1-x) dy`

You need to evaluate x from equation `y = x^3 => x = root(3)y`

`V = 2pi*int_(0)^1 (1 - y)*(1-root(3)y) dy`

`V = 2pi*int_(0)^1 (1 - root(3)y - y + y*root(3)y)dy`

`V = 2pi*(int_(0)^1 dy - int_(0)^1 root(3)y dy - int_(0)^1 ydy + int_(0)^1 y*root(3)y dy)`

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

`V = 2pi*(y - (3/4)*y^(4/3) - y^2/2 + (3/7)*y^(7/3))|_0^1`

`V = 2pi*(1 - (3/4)*1^(4/3) - 1^2/2 + (3/7)*1^(7/3) - 0)`

`V = 2pi*(1 - 3/4 - 1/2 + 3/7)`

`V = 2pi*(28- 21 - 14 + 12)/28`

`V = (5pi)/14`

Hence, evaluating the volume, using the method of cylindrical shells, yields `V = (5pi)/14.`

Why is the story titled "Scent of Apples?"

“Scent of Apples” by Bienvenido Santos is a short story in the book of the same name. Santos writes stories about the lives of Filipino immigrants. In “Scent of Apples,” the protagonist, Celestino Fabia, lives in the Midwestern United States on a small piece of land that includes an apple orchard. The smell of that apple orchard is prominent in his home. Although it is not a scent that is familiar in the Philippines, it makes Fabia long for home and reinforces his feelings of living as an outcast. Even though he has been in America for many years, he never lost his longing for home. He feeds the apples to the pigs which is symbolic of throwing away the abundance of the harvest. He feels that he threw away his familiar life in his homeland even though he has a strong wife and home life. The author titles the story after its most prominent symbol.

I am expected to write a five-page paper this week. I need some ideas for a thesis about slavery, that uses eight separate documents from the...

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." --Declaration of Independence

Thesis statement on slavery:

When the thirteen colonies of the Americas broke free from the tyranny of a monarch thousands of miles across the Atlantic, high expectations existed. It was an optimism that the enlightenment dreams of liberty and representative government were finally realized. This optimism, however, was not meant for millions of slaves that were forced to work on plantations for the economic well-being of this newfound republic. It would take over a century for this disenfranchised population to realize liberty and citizenship.

Use the following eight documents from the textbook:

• A Slave to Thomas Jefferson, November 30, 1808, Chapter 10


• Bennet Barrow, Highland Plantation Journal, May 1, 1838, Chapter 13


• Frances Anne Kemble, Journal of a Residence on a Georgian Plantation in 1838-1839, Chapter 13


• The Confessions of Nat Turner, 1831, Chapter 13 


• Interview, 1873, Chapter 13


• Frederick Douglass, The Constitution of the United States: Is It Proslavery or Antislavery? 1860, Chapter 14


• Correspondence between Lydia Maria Child and Virginia Governor Henry A. Wise, 1859, Chapter 14

After reading the eight documents and recording notes, try to identify seven or eight themes or topics from the readings. Organize those themes into paragraphs in which you cite or quote information from the documents within the paragraphs.

In The Hunger Games, who, other than the main character, makes choices that change the world of Panem?

That depends on if you are talking about the first book of the series or the series as a whole, so I will attempt to answer both.

In The Hunger Games the book, one very big decision that sets in motion many other things is the one made by the Head Gamemaker, Seneca Crane. At the end of the Games, Katniss and Peeta are the only two tributes left standing; they had been told earlier in the Game that if they were the last ones standing, they could both win, but at the end, that particular rule was revoked, meaning that one of them had to kill the other. However, when Katniss and Peeta chose to eat poisoned berries to kill themselves rather than one of them killing the other, Crane stopped them and let them both win. Not only did this lead to his own demise (by the very same poisoned berries that Katniss and Peeta had been about to eat), but it showed to the country that the system could be beat. The act of defiance by Katniss and Peeta (both of them dying would have left the Games without a Victor at all that year, which would have caused problems in and of itself) showed the rest of the country that the Capitol was not invincible, that it could be beat, which helped set off the rebellion.

Within the series as a whole, there are a few others who make important decisions: President Coin of District 13, who leads the rebellion; Cinna (Katniss' personal stylist), who makes dresses for Katniss that enforce her role as the Mockingjay, which enforces the people's decision to support her; President Snow of the Capitol, who tried to suppress the rebellion and ended up only making it worse; the tributes in Catching Fire who help Katniss and Peeta survive and get to District 13; and Plutarch Heavensbee, who ran the Games in Catching Fire and helped the rebels fight against the Capitol.