What are two African proverbs and two Biblical references from the play The Lion and the Jewel?

African Proverbs

Towards the end of the play, Baroka is attempting to woo Sidi and shows her the machine that makes stamps. He tells Sidi that her image will adorn each stamp leaving Ilujinle, then expresses his thoughts about progress and modernity. Sidi mentions that Baroka sounds like the school teacher and Baroka says, "the proof of wisdom is the wish to learn even from children. And the haste of youth must learn its temper from the gloss of ancient leather, from a strength knit close along the grain" (Soyinka 53). Baroka uses the African proverb to explain to Sidi that he and the school teacher must learn from one another.

When Sidi is speaking with Baroka, Baroka mentions that his favorite wife had harmed him, and Sidi asks if his wife was in any way dissatisfied. Baroka initially comments that he does not have time to worry about what upsets women, then changes his tone and tells Sidi to not make him feel like an old ram. He tells Sidi that he will not allow her to watch him wrestle and references an African proverb by saying, "The woman gets lost in the woods one day and every wood deity dies the next" (Soyinka 42).

Biblical References

When Lakunle hears that Baroka wants Sidi to be his wife, Lakunle curses the Bale. He attempts to appeal to Sidi by referencing beautiful women in the Bible who successfully attracted men by saying, "My Ruth, my Rachel, Esther, Bathsheba thou sum of fabled perfections from Genesis to the Revelations" (Soyinka 20).

Later on in the play, Baroka references the Bible by saying, "Yesterday's wine alone is strong and blooded, child, and though the Christians' holy book denies the truth of this, old wine thrives best within a new bottle" (Soyinka 54). In Chapter 2 of the Gospel of Mark, there is an analogy of putting new wine into old wineskins and Baroka comments that he disagrees with the verse.

Last month, the New York City Board of Health voted to require chain restaurants to publish warnings when menu items contain more than the...

You can respond to this in at least two different ways.  You can say that the restaurant association is correct, or you can say that it is overreacting.  I will lay out arguments for both sides and you can make your own decision.

On the one hand, you can say that the restaurant association is right to criticize the government.  When the government imposes regulations like these, it does make things harder on restaurants.  Now, the restaurants will have to spend money and resources determining which of their foods have more than 2300 miligrams of salt in the amount that is served to a given customer.  This will eat into their profit margins, which are already not that high.

In addition, you can say that the government is making it less likely that people will want to eat at these restaurants.  Up until now, people have been content to eat the restaurant food.  Now, they are more likely to balk at eating because they will see the little warning symbols and think that the restaurant food is bad for them.  In these ways, the government is imposing rules that consumers don’t really want.  Those rules will increase the costs to the restaurants while, at the same time, reducing their ability to sell their meals.

On the other hand, you can argue that this regulation does not impose any real and unreasonable harm on restaurants.  Instead, all it does is to inform consumers.  While the restaurants will have to determine how much salt is in their food, this will not take too much in the way of resources.  Big chain restaurants typically know exactly what is in their foods because they are making things the exact same way every time.  They will have to determine the salt level one time, which will not take much time or money.

More importantly, what the government is requiring is not unreasonable.  It is only telling the restaurants to inform consumers about what they are eating.  It leaves people free to make their own choices, but gives them more information on which to base their decisions. From this point of view, we can say that it cannot possibly be bad to have to tell consumers what they are eating.  If a restaurant is afraid that consumers will refuse to buy if they know what is in the food, the restaurant deserves to lose money.

Which of these arguments makes more sense to you?

Southern politics have undergone significant changes from the 1930s to the present. Describe the major elements of these changes and their impact...

Southern politics has undergone many changes since 1930. These changes have had a significant impact on presidential elections.

From the end of Reconstruction to 1930, African-Americans in the South voted for Republican candidates. This was done because it was the Republican Party that issued the Emancipation Proclamation. It was the Republican Party that developed the Reconstruction plan that gave African-Americans the freedoms they were lacking before the Civil War. Additionally, there were groups such as the Ku Klux Klan that were tied to the Democratic Party. These groups wanted to take away the rights the African-Americans had achieved after the Civil War.

African American voting patterns changed when the Great Depression occurred. The Great Depression hit African Americans very hard. They had higher unemployment rates than the national average. They viewed President Roosevelt’s New Deal programs as being very helpful to them. Thus, they began to vote for Democratic candidates in the 1930s.

White voting patterns also changed. After the Civil War ended, the white southerners generally voted for Democratic candidates. This was because the whites in the South viewed the Republicans as the political party that brought equality to the African-Americans and tried to change the way of life in the South. White southerners were upset with Republicans for bringing about these changes. This solid white voting pattern was called the Solid South. Since the Jim Crow laws effectively denied many southern African-Americans the right to vote, the Democrats had control over southern politics for many years.

As the Democratic Party began to support efforts to end segregation in the 1950s and 1960s, white Southerners began to vote for Republican candidates. In the election of 1968, President Nixon developed a strategy for the South known as the Southern Strategy. In this plan, Nixon would not support court-order busing to desegregate the schools. He also agreed to appoint judges who whose rulings reflected conservative viewpoints. Finally, he would choose a Vice President from the South. This strategy helped Nixon get elected.

In the 1990s, Republicans solidified their hold on the South with the development of the Contract With America. Republicans promised to lower taxes, balance the federal budget, fight crime, and impose term limits on elected officials. These ideas reflected the conservative thinking of many southerners. After the mid-term elections of 1994, Republicans controlled both houses of Congress for the first time in many decades.

To this day, the changes that began in the 1950s still hold true today. Republicans generally carry the South while Democrats carry the Northeast and the West.

After reading Tom Sawyer how are kids today similar or the same even though situations today have changed?

As your question stated, the situations that Tom Sawyer was in during the novel are different than situations today, but kids in general are not different.  Tom is a typical junior high kid.  He wants to be mischievous, but he also wants to be appreciated.  I don't see kids today being much different.  My own students might try to bend the rules and do some real bone headed things, but they also always appreciate kind and encouraging words.  For example, early in the novel Tom tricks a bunch of his classmates into doing work for him.  But later in the novel he deeply ingratiates himself to Becky and the rest of the class for taking the teacher's punishment.  Tom is similar to a lot of kids that I teach, because he wants to have mischievous fun and play jokes on people, but he also wants to impress people.  

Tom, Huck, and other characters are similar to kids today too in the sense that they love exploring.  That's why Tom has his island adventures or goes into that cave.  There is a sense of wonder about exploring the wild nature around his house/town.  My own kids are the same way.  My seven year old and four year old love "exploring" on the mountain behind our house.  They make forts in bushes and trees that have hollowed out sections.  They climb up on rocks that aren't very tall (but taller than them) and imagine they are king of the world.  My boys come home and tell their mom about the "adventure" they just had with dad.  No joke.  They use that word.  For my kids, it's not "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer."  It's "The Adventures of Aiden and Logan."  

I did a science lab about chromatography paper and the black ink did not have a variety of colors when seperated. Is the black ink a heterogenous...

Black ink is a homogenous mixture because it is a solution and all of its components are in a single phase.  

A mixture is a combination of two or more substances in which each substance retains its identity. In other words, the substances that make up a mixture do not chemically react to form new products.

Mixtures can be either homogenous or heterogeneous. A homogenous mixture has a uniform composition and uniform properties throughout. The substances within a homogenous mixture are in one phase. All solutions are homogenous mixtures. On the other hand, a heterogeneous mixture does not display a uniform composition throughout. Trail mix and salad are two examples of heterogeneous mixtures. Each bite or handful of trail mix or salad is different.

Does Mrs. Crater have any moral justification for her actions in the short story, "The Life You Save May Be Your Own?"

There is a redeeming feature in Mrs Crater's actions, yes. One could suggest that Mrs Crater's concern for Lucynell's care after she has died, for she is old, may be the one redeeming feature she possesses. She clearly dotes on her daughter and finding someone to look after her once she is gone, is a noble ideal. There are however, a number of other factors which one should also consider before making a final judgment about her.

Mrs Crater also comes across as a self-serving individual who uses her innocent daughter as a bargaining tool for the following reasons:

Firstly, it is clear that Mrs Crater is lonely. She is desperate for company, someone she can talk to, since her daughter, Lucynell, is hearing-impaired and has not spoken a word in her life. Mrs Crater can therefore not conduct a conversation with her. She has been living alone with Lucynell for fifteen years since her husband died. 

Secondly, she needs a handyman who would fix everything on the farm that needs repair and who would run the place for her. She is old and tired and lacks the drive or skill to do so herself. In addition to this, she needs someone to take care of Lucynell and getting her married would save her the trouble of having to take care of her. 

Also, hooking someone by having him marry her daughter, would provide cheap labour, for it is clear that she is quite stingy.

Mr Shiftlet's arrival provides Mrs Crater with the ideal opportunity to obtain all that she wants. She exploits Lucynell's innocence to lure Mr Shiftlet and she admirably succeeds in this venture. Lucynell has become a carrot which she dangles in front of Mr Shiftlet and he seemingly takes the bait. He marries Lucynell at her suggestion and she is obviously highly pleased with herself at having coerced him into this act.  

However, it is ironic that Mrs Crater does not realise that Mr Shiftlet allows himself to be so easily manipulated. He also has an ulterior motive and slyly gives in to Mrs Crater's suggestions. He first impresses her with his skills by fixing various parts of the house and doing the required chores on the farm, but his main interest is the car, which hasn't run for fifteen years. Shiftlet has never owned a vehicle in his life and he has seen through Mrs Crater's scheme and uses her gullibility to get what he wants. 

In the final analysis, Mrs Crater's plan backfires terribly, for Shiftlet abandons Lucynell and steals the car.   

How has the world benefited from Malcolm X?

Malcolm X was a black nationalist who claimed that African-Americans will never achieve equality in a society dominated by Christian whites.  He believed that black people needed to create their own institutions of business, education, and politics.  He preached that black people, when mobilized, could achieve great things.  This message of hope and pride was necessary for a minority population that was lacking both because of the centuries of mistreatment.  Malcolm's greatest impact was in changing the way that black people viewed themselves.  His influence on education and morality affected the black population.  He moved the civil rights movement to the left and spawned a more aggressive element.  White Americans feared this movement more than the nonviolent elements of the civil rights movement.  It is quite possible that fear motivated Congress to change in the form of the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Act.  The world benefited from Malcolm X in that he was able to motivate African-Americans to achieve more and for white Americans to grant equality to all Americans.  

What is Richard III's ultimate goal?

In Shakespeare's Richard lll, the title character's ultimate goal is to be seated on the throne of England as its king. At the beginning of the play, Richard is fifth in line of succession to the throne. Edward IV dies mid-play of illness, leaving the Duke of Clarence and the two young princes, the Duke of York and Edward, in the way. Richard has Clarence imprisoned and killed, then has the two princes put into the Tower, supposedly for their own protection. 

Using false charm and clever machinations, Richard ascends to the throne. Soon after, the two princes are smothered in their sleep by Sir James Tyrell, a nobleman Richard enlists.

Richard achieves his ultimate goal. However, deformed at birth with a hunched back and possessing displeasing features, part of Richard's ultimate goal is gaining unquestioning respect, through the power and position of the throne.

Richard's success is short lived, though, his army soon defeated by the armies of Henry Tudor on Bosworth Field.

Why does the pressure of fluid (incompressible) decreases with increase in its velocity? I don't want an explanation with the help of Bernoulli's...

Bernoulli's equation is the simplest way to understand this. This equation is a result of conservation of energy in a flow, and will simply mean that (in absence of a change in datum level) potential energy will be converted to kinetic energy of fluid. However, if you do not want to use an explanation based on this equation, try to think about the situation this way. When the area of flow changes (say decreases), there is less area and according to continuity equation (A1V1= A2V2), flow velocity will increase (to accommodate the same flow through a smaller cross-section). However, if we discount all other forces, how can this be? The flow is caused by a gradient, in this case, pressure gradient causes the flow. Thus, the pressure must decrease across the cross-section, causing an increase in the velocity of fluid flow.  

Hope this helps. 

In Part Two of Fahrenheit 451, why does Montag call the women "monsters"?

In this particular scene, Montag calls his wife's friends, Mrs. Bowles and Mrs. Phelps, "monsters" after listening to their conversation about their home lives. Mrs. Bowles has had two children by Caesarian section because she does not want to experience the "agony" of childbirth. Moreover, she claims to have only had children because she feels duty-bound to do so, not because she desires motherhood:

The world must reproduce, you know, the race must go on.

Mrs. Phelps has not had children because she believes they are "ruinous." Even though Mrs. Bowles has children, she clearly does not possess any maternal instinct. She parents by putting her children in school for nine days out of ten, and leaving them to watch the parlor walls.

This cold and unloving attitude prompts Montag to call the women "monsters" amid his astonishment at their way of life.

Why did Japan invade China before World War II?

In the early part of the 20th Century, Japan's leaders aspired to build a world empire. Empires require conquest of new lands, and symbolically, China was a strong candidate. China was the traditional realm of power in the east for time immemorial. To conquer China would be a huge figurative victory for the Japanese.

Aside from metaphorical nature of a victory over China, the invasion had a military and economic purpose. The region of China acquired by Japan was rich in natural resources, particularly oil. Resources are required to fuel industrial growth and to supply the military. Japan's lack of natural resources on its own mainland was problematic to the goals of imperial growth. For this reason, Japan looked toward China to solve this problem.

After defeating China, Japan installed a puppet government in Manchuria. Aside from the beneficial flow of resources and revenue from China, negative consequences existed. The incursion into China greatly angered the United States and the European industrial powers whose economic interests were tied to the Far East. The United States placed embargos on Japan that caused greater animus between the two countries. This would ultimately lead to American entry into World War II.

What literary feature is in Lucille Clifton's "Moonchild"?

Lucille Clifton's "Moonchild" is a short poem, only four stanzas, but there is a great deal going on. I'll help you examine literary features in each stanza.

Let's start with the first three lines:

"whatever slid into my mother's room that/late june night, tapping her great belly/summoned me out roundheaded and unsmiling."

The use of the indefinite pronoun "whatever," which begins the poem, suggests ambiguity and the unknown. "My mother's room" has double-meaning: it could be a literal room, or the womb. Here, then, we have the possible use of metaphor. Entry into either room -- or both -- results in the birth of the narrator.

The next three lines:

"is this the moon, my father used to grin/cradling me? it was the moon/but nobody knew it then."

In this poem, the moon is linked to womanhood, which becomes clearer in the next stanzas. Culturally, the cycles of the moon are linked to menstrual cycles, which is later suggested. The narrator's father [cradles] her, much as the sky cradles the moon. Thus, an analogy is made here: father is to daughter as sky is to moon. 

In the second stanza, Clifton employs anaphora, which is the repetition of particular words or phrases at the beginning of each line. The purpose is to create a particular effect on the reader through the emphasis of these words or phrases. The narrator repeats "the moon." Then, in the third line, the moon becomes "she." The moon is feminized. Here, one could argue that the moon is personified, or anthropomorphized, as female.

In the third stanza, there is a jump in time to early girlhood and pubescence. There is the narrator's recollection of a dialogue between her and another little girl:

"jay johnson is teaching me to french kiss, ella bragged, who/is teaching you? how do you say; my father?" 

There is an interesting use of voice in these lines. It is a recollection in which her friend Ella speaks -- brags -- and the narrator, in the moment, says nothing. Now, in her recollection, she ponders how she could have spoken the truth of her experience, which was sexual abuse. There is a contrast, too, between Ella's bragging -- her fluency in describing her sexual exploration -- and the narrator's inability to find the right words.

In the last stanza, there is the use of hyperbole:

"the moon is the queen of everything/she rules the oceans, rivers, rain."

The moon, because it determines the ebbs and flows of oceans, and thus, rivers and rain, becomes "the queen of everything." Finally: "when I am asked whose tears these are/I always blame the moon." It is only in these last two lines that the narrator asserts her voice and becomes "I." Notice, too, that "I" is the only word that is capitalized in the entire poem.

The last lines allude to menstruation: the narrator is crying and blames "nature," or "the moon," for her tears, her moodiness. This reflects the cultural tendency to point out women's unpredictability due to the fluctuations of the womb. She is asked (notice the use of the passive voice) "whose tears these are," which is a denial of her identity and agency. So, she blames the moon. The narrator is being cheeky. She is also asserting her identity ("I"), her voice (active tense is employed for the first time with the phrase "I always blame"), and her steadfastness with the use of the adverb "always."

What is a modern translation of Romeo and Juliet, Act III Scene 2, lines 73-85?

This passage is mostly Juliet's response when she hears the news that her beloved Romeo has killed her cousin Tybalt. Most of her comments from lines 76 through 85 are contrasting Romeo's physical beauty, and her love for him, with the terrible deed he has done. She does not know, at this time, of the extenuating circumstances surrounding the slaying--i.e., that Tybalt basically provoked the fight by killing Romeo's friend Mercutio. Her response is full of oxymorons, or contradictions in terms like "beautiful tyrant," "fiend angelical," "damned saint," and "honourable villian." All of these statements are essentially bemoaning the fact that Romeo could have done a thing that could hurt her so much. Despite this outburst, her love for Romeo does not waver. Later she describes herself as a "beast" for having said these things. But we can see clearly in this passage that her love for her cousin and her family is real, and this makes her love for Romeo all the more tragic and powerful. 

What compacts has Rosalind/Ganymede made with the others? What one didn't we know about before? As You Like It Act 5 Scene 4.

Rosalind plans for many of the play's central characters to be married all on the same day. Celia (or Aliena) will marry Oliver, Rosalind will appear to marry Orlando, and Touchstone will marry Audrey. The final promise that gets revealed is a little more complicated. Phoebe wishes to marry Ganymede. Rosalind warns Silvius that he should not love such a woman, but she still helps him. She promises Phoebe that she (as Ganymede) will marry her, but adds the condition that if for some reason she is forced to reject Ganymede she must instead marry Silvius. When the play comes to a close, Rosalind fulfills her promise by appearing and revealing her identity. Since she is a woman, Phoebe must reject her and therefore marry Silvius. The rest of the characters all marry happily.

What's the indirect and direct characterization of Madame Forestier in the story "The Necklace"?

Direct characterization happens when the author openly describes the physical and behavioral traits of a character. We get a precise idea of what how the character looks, sounds or behaves. Indirect characterization happens when the author uses indirect means to reveal a character's traits. We get an idea of what a character thinks and feels by how others speak about them, interact with them and feel about them.

Madame Forestier is not as profusely described in the story through direct characterization; however, we get glimpses of who she is through indirect characterization of her interaction with Mathilde and of her reactions and comments. 

Direct Characterization:

Maupassant adds this passage when he is describing how Mathilde reacts to the wealth of others. Judging by the fact that Mathilde has no other friends in the story, we can suppose that this brief, direct characterization is of Madame Forestier when Maupassant talks about Mathilde's feelings, 

[Mathilde] had a friend, a former schoolmate at the convent, who was rich, and whom she did not like to go to see any more because she felt so sad when she came home.

This is a direct characterization that states that this friend is rich, came from the convent, and is still a friend of Mathilde's. From this description it is clear that the first fact about Forestier is that she is wealthy. 

Indirect Characterization:

Then we find indirect characterizations that tell us more about Madame Forestier through her actions, interactions, reactions and conversation,

Madame Forestier went to a wardrobe with a mirror, took out a large jewel box, brought it back, opened it and said to Madame Loisel:

"Choose, my dear."

From this small information we can tell indirectly that Forestier is both wealthy and generous. She is willing to share her jewels with her friend. Since the box is so big, we can say that so is Madame's Forestier's fortune.

When Mathilde returns the newly purchased necklace meant to replace the one that she lost, Madame Forestier retorted in a "chilly" mood that Mathilde should have brought in the necklace earlier, as Forestier may have needed it. This part of the indirect characterization shows this is a slight expression of disapproval in the larger scheme of her traits.

Madame Forestier, though, does fit the description of the typical semi-standoffish wealthy woman in the way that she comports herself, which is revealed in indirect characterization. For instance, during one of her walks in the park, years after the necklace debacle, Mathilde finds her walking as most women of Forestier's class often did in the Champs Elysee. Jeanne Forestier does not stop walking until Mathilde blurts out the truth about the replaced necklace. The way that Jeanne reacts, shown through indirect characterization, holding her hands and explaining that the necklace was a fake, shows indirectly that there is a degree of compassion that she still feels for Mathilde, stemming from pity or from affection. 

Why does Paulo Coelho use "the boy" instead of "Santiago" in his novel The Alchemist?

Coelho's The Alchemist is the perfect bildungsroman; that is to say, it is a story of the main character's growth, education, and personal edification from novice to expert. Some may also say it is a novel about rites of passage--those rituals one goes through in order to become an adult. "The boy," as Coelho calls him, is just that, until he completes his personal journey to find his treasure and learns the skills he needs to fulfill his personal legend. It is a story of growing from boy to man.

The narrator, however, seems to be one who perceives Santiago not unlike how a teacher or parent might speak about a son. For example, even after Santiago finds his treasure and fulfills his personal legend, the author/speaker still calls him "the boy" because he is still young and has his whole life ahead of him. Yet there still seems to be a certain parental/son relationship between the speaker and the boy, so "the boy" isn't dropped after all of the goals are achieved. Maybe another reason that "the boy" isn't dropped eventually is to remind the reader that even though he achieved his goals in many ways, he still wasn't completely a man until he returned to Fatima and started his next quest. 

1.Why did the Traveller want to see the Listeners in the poem "The Listeners"? 2.What does the poet mean by 'the silence surged softly backward...

1. The Traveller wanted to see the Listeners in the poem “The Listeners” because he had promised that he would return to visit people who were supposed to be at this house. Therefore, the Traveller is a man of his word as he is doing what he assured others he would do. He says:

‘Tell them I came, and no one answered,  

   That I kept my word,’ he said.

It is not clear why he made this promise. In addition, it is not clear exactly to whom he made this promise. The important point, though, is that the promise was made and that he fulfilled his promise.

2. Employing the line “the silence surged softly backward” the poet (Walter de la Mare) means that silence is returning to this house where the phantom “Listeners” reside. These are spirits or apparitions that inhabit this abode. They are used to silence being a major part of the environment wherein they dwell. Noise, commotion, and a bevy of sounds, discordant and/or harmonious are not what they are typically used to. As a result, when the Traveller leaves, silence moves backward from the Traveller and back into the house. Silence is leaving the noisy station of the Traveller and receding to whence it came – the interior of this place where all is quiet.

The poet is comparing the silence here to the gentle and relatively soft surf of a quiet lake or other body of water that has delicately rolling waves that ebb and flow with a rhythmic and discreet monotony.

a.) The features that make the Traveller stand out in the poem "The Listeners " are his quality of character in that he honored his promise to others; his persistence in wanting to meet the people he made his promise to; and the fact that he is lonely. It stands out that he is stated as being lonely but that he is reaching out to others in his loneliness. Also, what stands out is that the Traveller is perceptive and a feeling individual. He could feel the Listeners’ strangeness and stillness.

b.) The features that make the Listeners stand out in the poem "The Listeners " are the fact that they do not respond at all to the Traveller. This makes them enigmatic phantoms that inhabit another plane of existence. Another feature that stands out is, as stated above, that the Listeners have a strangeness to them. This makes the reader want to know more about them and what they are up to. Furthermore, the fact that the Listeners hear all that is going on outside but do not seek to investigate further or meet the Traveller make the reader wonder if they are respectful and friends of humankind, or violent and immoral phantoms that desire harm to humankind. This feature of these spirits lends a tension and foreboding to this poem.

What lesson does "The Necklace" teach?

There are a number of lessons in Guy de Maupassant‎’s short story “The Necklace.” Two that are prominent are “all that glitters is not gold” and the best policy is to tell the truth. Mathilde grew up in a simple background but longed to live an upper class life. She married a working class gentleman who did his best to please her.

When her husband procures an invitation to a dance she is distraught by her lack of appropriate attire and jewelry. Her husband gives her his savings to purchase a dress and suggests that she wear flowers or borrow some jewelry from her friend. She borrows a sparkling necklace from her wealthy friend, which she assumes is diamonds and gold. Unfortunately, in a haste to leave the dance because she is embarrassed by her shabby wrap, she loses the necklace. Instead of telling her friend the truth about losing the necklace, she and her husband purchase a replacement which takes them ten years to pay off.

Mathilde and her husband lose their home and youth paying off what they thought was a diamond necklace. When Mathilde has a chance meeting with her friend after finally paying off the necklace, the friend reveals that is was a fabulous fake and not the real thing. If Mathilde had told her friend the truth when the necklace was lost after the dance, there may have been hurt feelings but it would have saved Mathilde and her husband ten years of turmoil.

What is the chemical reaction for the ethyl borate test of calcium borate?

Ethyl borate is a chemical compound that when burned with a flame imparts a highly visible green color.  That makes the ethyl borate test a qualitative chemical test for the presence of borate anions.  Calcium borate (Ca3(BO3)2) can react with ethanol (EtOH) to produce ethyl borate ((EtO)3B) via the equation below:

Ca3(BO3)2 + 3 EtOH -->  (EtO)3B + B(OH)3 + 3CaO

The calcium borate will react with ethanol to make ethyl borate.  The ethyl borate when exposed to a flame will produce the distinct green color.  The green colored burning makes ethyl borate useful for pyrotechnic displays including fireworks.  Ethyl borate also has other uses including the manufacturing of certain types of glass, finishes like waxes and varnishes, and it also has some flame retardant uses as well.

Is Mama a wholly unsympathetic person?

No, she's actually quite sympathetic in regard to her daughter, Maggie; at least, by the end of the story, she seems to have developed greater sympathy for Maggie than she's ever had before.  Although Mama characterizes Dee fairly harshly -- as a child, "she burned [Mama and Maggie] with a lot of knowledge" and had a "scalding humor" -- her descriptions of Maggie are more feeling, even in the beginning.  She asks,

Have you ever seen a lame animal, perhaps a dog run over by some careless person rich enough to own a car, sidle up to someone who is ignorant enough to be kind to him? That is the way my Maggie walks. 

In calling the person who would hit a dog with their car "careless" and the dog itself as "kind," Mama clearly establishes sympathy for the lame dog, here, a metaphor for Maggie. 

However, near the end of the story when Wangero (Dee) insists that she needs the old quilts to hang on her walls at home -- quilts she had rejected years ago as "old fashioned" -- Mama says that she'd promised them to Maggie for when she got married.  Wangero grows angry and says that Maggie would be backward enough to actually use them, and Mama says that she hopes Maggie does use them, and she can make more when they fall apart.  Finally, Maggie simply offers to allow Wangero to keep them.  Mama says,

[Maggie] looked at her sister with something like fear but she wasn't mad at her. This was Maggie's portion. This was the way she knew God to work.  When I looked at her like that something hit me in the top of my head and ran down to the soles of my feet. Just like when I'm in church and the spirit of God touches me and I get happy and shout. I did something I never done before: hugged Maggie to me, then dragged her on into the room, snatched the quilts out of Miss Wangero's hands and dumped them into Maggie's lap. Maggie just sat there on my bed with her mouth open.

When Mama sees poor, wounded Maggie with her scarred hands hidden in her skirt and realizes how humble and selfless Maggie is, so much so that she can't even be angry at her sister for her selfishness, Mama wants Maggie to come first for once.  She seems to have an epiphany about the value and worth of her daughter, and she will not now allow her to be walked on again.  This description, especially, strikes me as very sympathetic toward Maggie; Mama suddenly understands the emotional toll that being Wangero's sister has taken on her (in addition to the physical toll). 

Why did Bruno think the Fury was the rudest guest in Boyne's The Boy in the Striped Pajamas?

First of all, it is important to realize that the "the Fury" is an error on Bruno's part.  It is Bruno's mispronunciation of Hitler's title of "the Führer."  In regard to your question, Bruno's exact statement is that "the Fury" happens to be "the rudest guest I have ever seen."  The reasons why Bruno thinks this are many and varied.  Originally, Bruno thinks it is rude that Hitler has invited himself to dinner (instead of being invited).  Next, Bruno thinks it is rude that Hitler "marches" into the house.  Third, Bruno thinks it is rude that Hitler treats his date, Eva, like a dog.  Hitler yells at Eva when she converses with the children too long.  In short, he begins “clicking his fingers as if she were some sort of puppy dog.”  Finally, Bruno thinks it is rude that Hitler immediately takes Father's place at the head of the dinner table.  While all of these are direct reasons, there is an indirect reason as well:  Bruno will be forced to leave his home in Berlin due to Hitler's orders.

What is the meaning and significance of virtue and vice in Romeo and Juliet?

Virtue and vice are contraries that are mentioned in Friar Laurence's soliloquy of Act II, Scene 3 in which he employs the rhetorical device of antithesis as he mentions morning and night, darkness and the sun, day and night, good and vile qualities, and virtue and vice, which become a trope for the remaining action of the play. 

In his soliloquy Friar Lawrence contemplates how good can come of "vile," when it is applied in actions for a good end, and how good can become evil if it is put to the wrong use.

For naught so vile that on the earth doth live
But to the earth some special good doth give.
Nor aught so good but, strained from that fair use
Revolts from true birth, stumbling on abuse.
Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied,
And vice sometime by action dignified. (2.3.17-22)

For instance, in Act III Romeo attempts to stop the heated quarrel of Mercutio and Tybalt by telling Tybalt that he has no quarrel with him, and that he loves him now. But, an angered Tybalt attacks Mercutio underneath the arm of Romeo that is outstretched in friendship and love. Then, Romeo misapplies his good intentions by retaliating against Tybalt, and they, then, become evil.

The final example comes at the end of the play, as the tragic deaths of the violent love of Romeo and Juliet do serve some good as the Montagues and Capulets do end their feud.

Can you think of a time in your life when you outgrew something and gave up? Did you replace this item (or habit or attitude) with something else?

For quite a long period of my life, from middle school through post-college, I was very serious about trying to be a good runner. I ran track and cross country and had gotten to the point where I was often running 90-100 miles a week in order to try and get stronger and faster. I'd structured quite a lot of my life around being able to fit in that training and racing. I had a few setbacks all in a row, an injury, a bout of overtraining, etc., and basically started to see that I simply didn't have the motivation to keep up all the long hours of training when I felt like I was seeing diminishing returns.

In the end, I did replace racing and being competitive on the track with trying to learn to race a bicycle as it provided a new outlet and one where I could actually get better instead of just prolonging the decline. So in my case I replaced the outlet for my competitive desire but didn't really change the habit or attitude.

In The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Changez claims he is a lover of America, but he hints at a more complex and conflicted relationship. What...

Changez loves America because it has offered him opportunities he may not have had in his home country of Pakistan. Throughout the book he travels to America for university, and is hired as a businessman and becomes very successful. He has a great apartment and even meets and falls in love with a girl- Erica. Changez has a great life in America that is very different from the one he would have had if he had stayed in Pakistan. So, yes, Changez loves America.

This love is complicated, though. At the same time, America has offered Changez lots of opportunity, wealth, and friendship, he is viewed as an outsider and sometimes an enemy. This book is very much about the attitudes towards Muslim and Muslim-passing people in the United States after the tragedy of September 11th, 2001. Changez is a Pakistani man with dark skin and a beard- the very caricature of what most Americans thought "the enemy" looked like. Even though Changez has a successful life, he feels like an outsider and a threat because he knows he looks like what people think the enemy looks like. Amidst all the opportunity and wealth, which would normally foster happiness, he can't help but feel uncomfortable.

On another level, it is difficult for Changez to entirely embrace his life in America when his family remains in Pakistan. He isn't sure he should give himself so wholeheartedly to a country that is suspicious of him.

I would like help with writing a thesis statement about my dad dying from cancer and how he handled the adversity.

First of all, you have my sympathy in losing your dad so young.

In this essay, please consider what your three body paragraphs will be about.  Will you be discussing three adversities which he faced such as not being able to handle a full dose of chemo so that he had to go more often?  Would one paragraph be about how he talked with the family about his death, allowing you to talk with him about goodbyes or things you would miss having him not be there?  Would one paragraph be about the effect on the family of having a father with cancer or would you focus on only him?

Each of the questions I've included are to help you focus your essay so that your thesis statement contained in the introductory paragraph will introduce the reader to the three ideas you plan to discuss in your essay.  For example, your thesis statement could be something like, 'My father, the center of our family, was diagnosed with cancer which forced him to face the effects of chemo on his body, affected the rest of the family in positive or negative ways, and because he could face his death and discuss it, so also could the family talk with him about saying goodbye.' 

Just be sure that whatever you choose for your three body paragraphs, that the thesis statement introduces the reader to what you will discuss. Good luck on a difficult essay topic. 

What is the theme of love in A Midsummer Night's Dream? What two characters could be used to describe that theme?

The love theme in "A Midsummer's Night Dream" can be summed up in a line from the play: "the course of true love never did run smooth." Many characters illustrate that theme. Titania and Oberon, king and queen of the fairies, have a huge fight over who should own a slave boy brought back from India that leads them to split up from each other. Hermia wishes to marry Lysander, but her father insists she must marry Demetrius, and he has the law of Athens behind him. Helena, Hermia's friend, loves Demetrius, but he rejects her scornfully. Hermia, having been told she must wed Demetrius or enter a convent, makes plans to run off with Lysander. Helena tells Demetrius of Hermia's plan, hoping Demetrius will thank her. He follows Hermia and Lysander into the forest, and Helena follows Demetrius. In the forest, many love mix-ups occur due to the antics and confusions of the faeries, including the mischevious Puck. At the end of this light-hearted play, albeit with dark undertones, all the characters are sorted out, but not before Shakespeare has shown the many ways love can go wrong before it goes right. Shakespeare values true love over arranged marriage in this play but shows it doesn't triumph without a struggle. 

While Kino's environment is safe and pleasant, how does the picture of the ants and the roosters underscore the struggle for the survival in nature...

The struggle of the animals and insects is both foreshadowing and a metaphor for Kino’s existence.

Steinbeck describes the setting very carefully.  When Kino wakes up, we learn about the world around him as Kino observes it.  Although Kino seems content, with his wife and child by his side, there is something lurking below the surface.  The yard battles are a metaphor for the struggle of Kino’s everyday life, and they foreshadow trouble to come.

The ants were busy on the ground, big black ones with shiny bodies, and little dusty quick ants. Kino watched with the detachment of God while a dusty ant frantically tried to escape the sand trap an ant lion had dug for him. (Ch. 1)

Kino’s reaction to the ants is similar to the reaction the colonists like the doctor and the pearl sellers have toward him.  Kino is on top of the food chain here, and he can watch with godlike detachment.  It matters not to him what the ants go through.  However, in terms of people he is at the bottom.  He is just as insignificant as an ant to the doctor and pearl sellers.

The roosters posturing and the doves flying overhead are also symbolic.

Near the brush fence two roosters bowed and feinted at each other with squared wings and neck feathers ruffed out. It would be a clumsy fight. They were not game chickens. Kino watched them for a moment, and then his eyes went up to a flight of wild doves twinkling inland to the hills. (Ch. 1)

Like the roosters, Kino has to make himself more important than others to win.  He is not very good at fighting against the system, however.  Kino’s temper always gets the best of him, and he does not think or act rationally.

While things are simple and peaceful in this little domestic scene, there is plenty of hostility just under the surface.  Kino may be living a simple life now, but things are about to get much more complicated and dangerous for him and his family.

Compare and contrast "The Weary Blues" by Langston Hughes with his other poems "Dreams," "Dream Deferred," "Mother to Son," and "I Too."

Langston Hughes is the greatest poet of the Harlem Renaissance. His poems, especially "Dreams" and "Harlem," are often anthologized in high school literature textbooks.

At the time Hughes was writing, Jazz music was exploding out of New York City, and "The Weary Blues" is an excellent example of Jazz poetry. (Follow the link below to watch a video of Hughes reciting the poem with accompaniment from a Jazz ensemble.) Hughes believed that Jazz was an expression of black culture and that it was essentially at odds with the world of white America. He wrote,

“But jazz to me is one of the inherent expressions of Negro life in America; the eternal tom-tom beating in the Negro soul—the tom-tom of revolt against weariness in a white world, a world of subway trains, and work, work, work; the tom-tom of joy and laughter, and pain swallowed in a smile.”

In "The Weary Blues" Hughes uses the rhythm and language of the African-American, including the dialect prevalent in black literature and the emerging Jazz sound:

"Ain't got nobody in all this world, 
Ain't got nobody but ma self. 
I's gwine to quit ma frownin' 
And put ma troubles on the shelf."

The poem is clearly a good example of the "blues" and the musician portrayed is worn out, presumably from racism and lack of opportunity. He finally says he'd like to die. The poem is negative and lacks a silver lining. The idea of eventual equality, however, is prevalent in other Hughes poems.

Like "The Weary Blues," "Mother to Son" uses black dialect ("I'se, a-climbin,'" and "turnin' corners"). It differs because its tone is essentially optimistic. The mother in the poem has had a hard life. She says, "And life for me ain't been no crystal stair." But the message to her son is that she has laid the groundwork and he needs to continue climbing the stairs to equality.

Likewise in "I Too" Hughes expresses optimism for the future. The poem gives an excellent brief of the history of blacks in America and charts the course from servant to leader. Imagine President Obama consigned to the kitchen for his meal.

Both "Dreams" and "Harlem" are ambivalent about the prospect of black progress in America. They are not as negative as "The Weary Blues" but do not express the optimism of "Mother to Son" or "I Too."

"Dreams" simply urges the African-American to retain the dream of equality. It is a simple but powerful poem and can be read from any perspective, not just that of a minority striving for acceptance in a racist world.

"Harlem," like "The Weary Blues," focuses on the negative as it explores the idea that the promise of the Declaration of Independence (all men are created equal) has been postponed to the point of potential violence. The final line, "Or does it explode" predicts the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Of the mentioned poems, "Harlem" may be most in tune with the desperation expressed in "The Weary Blues."

What is the nightmare that descends upon the children in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird?

At the beginning of Chapter 15, Scout says, "A nightmare was upon us." (Lee 193) The nightmare Scout was referring to was the mob scene that takes place later on in the chapter. Harper Lee foreshadows this dangerous scene at the beginning of the chapter. Atticus goes by himself to sit outside of Tom Robinson's cell the night before the trial. Jem, Scout, and Dill follow Atticus and hide next to Tyndal's Hardware Store, and watch as the four cars arrive. The Old Sarum bunch gets out of their cars and surrounds Atticus. The mob plans on harming Tom Robinson. Scout runs into the group to greet Atticus and spots Walter Cunningham. After multiple attempts at "small talk," Scout gains Walter's attention. Walter realizes the precarious situation that Atticus is in, and tells the mob to leave. Scout unknowingly saves both her father and Tom Robinson from possible harm. The next day, Atticus teaches Scout and Jem a valuable lesson in mob mentality. 

What are the main conflicts in The Sisters Brothers?

This question is super difficult to answer.  It's not hard because the book doesn't have much conflict. On the contrary, the book moves from one conflict to the next.  The brothers are always in conflict with each other.  They aren't sure about their boss, the Commodore.  It seems that everywhere they go, Eli and Charlie make enemies of people.  It's almost laughable at exactly how much trouble the two brothers seem to find.  

If I had to pick a single conflict as a main conflict, I would probably go with the conflict that the Commodore's contract puts on the brothers.  They are hired assassins, and they are quite cold about their job; however, they do have standards about their targets.  The brothers are to initially kill a man named Warm, but unlike all of their other targets, Warm seems like a perfectly nice and innocent guy.  Charlie and Eli take the contract, and as they search for their target they run into conflict after conflict.  When they do eventually find Warm, their suspicions are confirmed about Warm.  He is a nice guy, and the brothers see no reason to kill him.  That means Eli and Charlie have to return to the Commodore and kill him.  Without the Commodore giving the initial contract, the brothers would never have had to deal with all of its repercussions.  That's why I choose the Commodore and the brother's conflict as the main conflict. 

How does Marshall portray Da-Duh as a dying character before she actually dies?

Marshall establishes a series of opposites in the story to show the difference between the past and present, the old and the new, and the young and the old.  Through the granddaughter, Marshall is showing that the world Da-duh has always known has moved on.  The granddaughter lives in the modern world of New York City, and it is much different than the world of Barbados in which Da-duh lives.  Da-duh realizes this when her granddaughter is able to argue for the beauty and importance of her world as well.  Da-duh slowly realizes that the world has changed; there are skyscrapers and airplanes in contrast to her sugar cane fields and palm trees.  Da-duh understands that she is no longer a part of the modern world, and she slowly gives up. It is time for her to move on and leave the world to the young instead of living in the past.

Da-duh begins to die when she starts taking naps on the couch and staring out the window at the sugar cane fields in her world. She slowly begins to give up for she knows that she is probably the last of her family to embrace the Barbados culture.  However, at the end of the story, we see Da-duh’s influence through the murals of Barbados painted on her granddaughter’s apartment walls.  Perhaps Da-duh gave up to soon, for it seems as if her granddaughter is ready to carry on her legacy. 

In Freak the Mighty, when Max takes a time out, where does he go?

In Chapter 5 of Freak the Mighty, Max takes a “timeout” so to speak. Max just got done showing Freak his bedroom when the Fair Gwen began looking for him. Gwen spots the wagon they were using in Max’s backyard, so she heads towards Max’s bedroom. When she sees Max, she is immediately frightened and runs away with Freak (20):

. . . and the Fair Gwen grabs Freak and puts him in the wagon and I swear, she almost runs home, like if she doesn’t get away quick something really bad is going to happen.

After this incident, Max explains that he drifts off in sort of a dreamlike state sometimes. From what he says, he implies that this happens quite frequently. This may be another reason why he like his bedroom in the basement so much - it gives him the freedom to go into this dreamlike state without being bothered.

As a reader, we can infer that this dreamlike state happens when something scares Max, he feels uncomfortable, or he feels stressed. To seek comfort, he goes under his bed (21):

What I do is lie on the floor under my bed, where you can just barely see the bedsprings and stuff because it’s so dark, and before long I’m somewhere else, sort of floating, and it’s so cool and empty in there, you don’t have to think about anything. You’re nothing, you’re nobody, nothing matters, you’re not even there. Time out.

In other words, this time out isn’t the traditional way in which we think of time outs. Instead, it’s a way for Max to escape reality and reflect on his experiences. 

In the book, Animal Farm, what are three ways Napoleon used fear to keep the animals under control?

First, Napoleon uses fear to maintain his power.  This might sound unimpressive, but words can bring great fear, and when fear is prominent, it possesses the power to control.  One of the refrains that Napoleon uses is: "You don't want Jones to come back, do you?"  To the animals Jones is the epitome of evil. Hence, the fear of Jones and their former way of life controls the animals to follow Napoleon.

Second, Napoleon uses the fear of Snowball to control the animals.  He persuades the animals that Snowball is a traitor.  He comes around in the darkness of night and sabotages things - like the windmill.  Hence, Napoleon has created a bogeyman to keep the animals obedient.  This forces the animals to work harder and create a new windmill.

Finally, Napoleon uses violence to make sure there is no rebellion.  In the beginning of the book, he trains the puppies of Jessie and Bluebell to become fierce attack dogs.  The other animals knows that if anyone of them gets out of line, they will suffer and died.  Hence, fear of physical harm controls the animals as well. 

In Fahrenheit 451, how does Clarisse feel about family?

Clarisse values family, unlike the other members of her society.

In Montag’s world, people do not get close to one another.  Everything is about shallow pleasure and entertainment.  This is why people spend all of their time watching television, drive too fast, and never talk to each other.  They have eliminated literature so that no one has to think or feel.

Clarisse is different.  She is Montag’s teenage neighbor.  Even though he is a fireman and most people fear them, Clarisse decides to stop Montag one day and strike up a conversation with him.  He finds her fascinating.  She and her family have very different views on life.

Clarisse talks about her uncle a lot.  He seems to be the inspiration for her reflective behavior.

"If you showed a driver a green blur, Oh yes! he'd say, that's grass! A pink blur? That's a rose-garden! White blurs are houses. Brown blurs are cows. My uncle drove slowly on a highway once. He drove forty miles an hour and they jailed him for two days. Isn't that funny, and sad, too?" (Part One)

Clarisse and her family are considered renegades.  Clarisse tells Montag she rarely watches television.  Her family sits around talking.  Clarisse gives several examples of times her uncle was jailed, including for being a pedestrian.  Apparently doing anything slowly is suspicious behavior.

When Clarisse is killed, Captain Beatty tells Montag that she is better off that way because her whole family is strange.

We've a record on her family. We've watched them carefully. Heredity and environment are funny things. You can't rid yourselves of all the odd ducks in just a few years. The home environment can undo a lot you try to do at school. (Part One)

The relationship that Montag has with Mildred is more typical. They barely talk, and he spends most of his time worrying that she is going to kill herself.  There is no intimacy or deep connection there.  Mildred cares more about the TV family than her own.  Clarisse is the one person that cares about her actual living family instead.

What provides energy for all the cells in the body?

The process of cellular respiration provides energy to all the cell in the body. In this process, glucose is broken down into carbon dioxide and water, in presence of oxygen, and energy is released in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) molecules. The chemical equation for this process can be written as:

`C_6H_12O_6 + 6 O_2 -> 6 CO_2 + 6 H_2O + ATP`

ATP molecules are also known as energy molecules, since each of their phosphorus bonds can provide energy. 

The process of cellular respiration is more efficient when it takes place in the presence of oxygen. However, when occurring in anaerobic conditions, glucose breakdown can still result in a relatively low number of ATP molecules. 

Interestingly, the process of cellular respiration is complementary to photosynthesis and each process utilizes the products of other process as reactants. 

Hope this helps. 

Do developing countries (not under developed) have lower unemployment than developed countries?

As a general rule, yes.

In general, unemployment is inversely proportional to overall economic development. However, countries that are on an upward development trajectory have very low unemployment, often lower than what we find in highly-developed First World countries. There is a wide range of unemployment within each group, but as a statistical trend, being in a state of rapid growth is associated with lower levels of unemployment. It's not a huge effect---maybe 2 or 3 percentage points---but it is a real trend.

Here's a representative sample of each type of country, along with their average unemployment rate over the last 10 years. (Why? To smooth out the business cycle.)

Developed countries:

Germany: 5.9%
The United States: 7.5%
France: 9.0%
Greece: 15.0%

Developing countries:
China: 4.0%
India: 7.3%
Brazil: 8.3%
Botswana: 18.4%

Underdeveloped countries:
Laos: 1.4%
Ghana: 8.8%
Haiti: 15.0%
Republic of the Congo: 52.0% (!)

Notice that underdeveloped countries have by far the widest variance in unemployment rates. This is partly because they don't keep very good statistics, and partly because they often suffer wild economic swings up and down with the ebb and flow of international trade.

In Fahrenheit 451, what does Bradbury seem to be arguing on pages 91-92?

Tensions are building by pages 91-92 in Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. This is the point in the novel when a fireman and a professor decide to take action to save Montag from getting arrested for having books and to reintroduce books into society. To start, Faber plants a listening device in Montag's ear so the two of them can communicate with each other without anyone knowing. This will allow Faber to help Montag to compete verbally with Captain Beatty who has a quick wit and a tricky tongue. Then, after saving Montag from Beatty, they hope to start printing reading materials again so they can eventually reintroduce literacy back into society. Faber even asks Montag for some money for materials to restart an old printing press. 

As Montag heads home, he feels conflicted with what he's doing, though. Montag is embarking on a mission that could cost him his life even before a war starts. Montag pauses to talk to Faber by saying the following:

"I'm not thinking. I'm just doing like I'm told, like always. You said get the money and I got it. I didn't really think of it myself. When do I start working things out on my own?. . . I don't want to change sides and just be told what to do. There's no reason to change if I do that" (92).

The argument could be that just having books won't change the world or bring a person a better life, but it can help. It takes time to learn and progress from reading books, and if society doesn't change along with Montag's educational transformation, then the fight for change is worthless. If Montag simply goes from one controlling society into another, then they haven't solved the censorship problem. Therefore, censorship by book burning is only part of the problem. Society also needs to value literacy and a person's freedom to think and to act for themselves as well. Without the freedom to think and act for oneself after reading a book, then books remain useless.

What are some examples of pathetic fallacy in Volume III of Frankenstein?

Near the end of the first chapter in Volume III, Victor is recounting the words of his best friend, Henry Clerval, in regard to the natural scenes they observe on their travels (when Victor is supposed to be creating a female companion for his creature). There are several examples of pathetic fallacy in this paragraph, which is fitting because Henry is so Romantic and inclined to be inspired by nature.

Henry thus describes the mountains, which cast "'black and impenetrable shades, which would cause a gloomy and mournful appearance, were it not for the most verdant islands that relieve the eye by their gay appearance [...].'" His attribution of mournfulness and gayness to the mountains and islands, respectively, is an example of pathetic fallacy, the attribution of human qualities and experiences to inanimate objects. Further, he describes the "'waves [that] dash with fury the base of the mountain'" and the "'charm in the banks of this divine river [...].'" To attribute the emotion of fury to the crashing waves and the quality of charm to the scenes along the river's banks are also both examples of pathetic fallacy.

Later, in Chapter II of this volume, Victor travels alone to Scotland so that he can finish the creature's mate. When looking at the landscape around him and comparing it to his home, he says that Geneva's "fair lakes reflect a blue and gentle sky; and, when troubled by the winds, their tumult is but as the play of a lively infant, when compared to the roarings of the giant ocean." The gentle sky, playful water, and roaring ocean are all further examples of pathetic fallacy which help us to understand that Victor finds Scotland to be savage and hostile as opposed to his charming and innocent home (though this perception likely has something to do with the miserable task he must complete there).

I have some questions about the poem "Cooks Brook" by Al Pittman. First, why does he say: "It would be better to die / skull smashed open in the...

Al Pittman (April 11, 1940 – August 26, 2001) was a poet who grew up in Corner Brook, Newfoundland. This poem recounts a childhood experience of diving off a high ledge into a natural pool formed in a brook.

The narrator seems to be looking back at the antics of his younger self and his friends, thinking about the emotions experienced. Diving off a high ledge is frightening, especially when, as described in the poem, there is a rocky area jutting into the pool, so that if you do not jump far enough out, you will die. On the one hand, common sense and our natural fear of heights would prompt us not to make the dive. On the other hand, especially for teenage males, diving off the high ledge is a proof of courage and masculinity. Backing down from the ledge would not only require going against peer pressure but might result in moving down in the informal school pecking order and being subjected to humiliation or bullying by peers while as successful dive would increase ones social stature, as seen in the statement:

Not everyone had guts enough

To dive from the top ledge

The relevance of the poem is the social dynamic in which peer pressure causes young people to act in ways that are risky, perhaps by experimenting with drugs, engaging in criminal behavior, or in having unprotected sexual encounters. Even in an urban setting, the sense of peer pressure leading teens to make unwise choices remains constant. 

How does Charles Dickens make a statement about the social conditions of Victorian England in A Christmas Carol?

Throughout A Christmas Carol, Dickens shows examples of poverty in England.  Below are three examples from the story.

On Christmas Eve Day, two gentlemen enter Scrooge's counting house to ask for donations for the poor.  Scrooge regards their request with disgust and disinterest.  Scrooge asks them if there are still prisons and workhouses.  One of the men replies that yes, those places are still there.  He explains that  "many would rather die" than go to those places.  Scrooge replies that "'if they would rather die,... they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.'"  In Victorian England, the poorest of the poor often had to live in debtor's prisons or workhouses.  The conditions in those places were often terrible.  

Dickens shows the conditions of the working poor with Bob Cratchit and his family.  He and his family live in a simple home.  Bob is paid only fifteen shillings per week for all his work and has to support a wife and family of six children.  His eldest daughter, Martha, also has a job to help support the family.  Bob himself is described as wearing "threadbare clothes."  

Later, the Ghost of Christmas Present opens his robes to show Scrooge two children.  These skinny, ragged children represent Want and Ignorance.  The boy and girl are "yellow, meagre, ragged, scowling, [and] wolfish."  They represent the poverty that surrounds Scrooge, which he ignores.

What are the products of fractional distillation of petroleum?

The crude petroleum oil obtained from oil field, undergoes fractional distillation and a number of products are generated. These products of fractional distillation include, petrol (or gasoline), naptha, kerosene, diesel oil, lubricating oil, fuel oil, grease and wax, and some residue. The basic idea is to heat the crude oil and then separate out the various fractions in a fractional distillation column. The crude oil vapors rise up in the column and condense at different heights, according to their boiling points. These products of fractional distillation are used for various purposes in our daily lives. Petrol (or gasoline) and diesel are commonly used for running our vehicles, which operate on petrol or diesel engines. Kerosene is commonly used in developing and underdeveloped countries for cooking. It is also used as jet fuel.

Hope this helps.

According to press commentary, the presidential election of 2000 was decided in the so-called Battle of Florida. How accurate is this...

I think that referring to the 2000 Presidential Election in the United States as "the battle for Florida" is accurate.  However, further analysis reveals that campaign strategy was very important in determining the results of the election.

Indeed, the 2000 Presidential Election in the United States hinged on the electoral votes in the state of Florida.  Without the state of Florida, the electoral count for Governor Bush was 246 and for Vice President Gore was 255.  Both candidates were short of the needed 270 electoral votes to win the Presidency.   With its 25 electoral votes, the state of Florida did in fact decide the Presidential election. 

However, when we expand the analysis, we see that campaign strategy played a very important role in determining the Presidential Election.  Governor Bush and his advisors envisioned an electoral map that was fundamentally different than previously seen.  Their electoral strategy focused on ensuring that the political message would be that Governor Bush was more "in touch" with the experiences of the "average American." This was seen in how the campaign ensured that Governor Bush often met with voters in "unscripted settings," and emphasized bringing back "dignity and honor."  The Bush Campaign sought to link Vice President Gore with an "out of touch administration."  As a result, the campaign focused on capturing states with small electoral vote counts, getting their message out to these previously neglected areas.  Such a strategy was contrary to conventional wisdom.  

States such as Missouri, Virginia, and Colorado became the central focus of the Bush campaign. States like Kentucky and the Vice- President's home state of Tennessee occupied central importance to their strategy to the 270 votes.  This flew in the face of conventional strategy which emphasized that "big states," or states with large electoral votes, such as Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Illinois, were essential to winning the Presidency.

The strategy to redraw the political map was critical in ensuring the Governor's victory.  In reconfiguring the electoral map, the Bush team recognized that they needed to win just a few "big states."  The Bush campaign focused on Ohio, Texas, which was the governor's home state, and Florida, whose governor was Jeb Bush, the brother of the Republican nominee.  It was a shrewd strategy, and one that caught the Gore campaign by surprise.  The Vice President's team did not place strong emphasis in winning a state like Tennessee, while Governor Bush's did. The result was that the Vice President lost his home state by less than four percent. Had Vice President Gore won his home state of Tennessee, that swing of 11 electoral votes would have secured the election for the Vice- President.  Thus, while Florida was decisive, electoral strategy played a very important role in the Presidential Election of 2000.

In "Landscape with the Fall of Icarus," what does "awake tingling near the edge of the sea" mean?

Williams' poem is meant to evoke a famous painting, Pieter Breugel the Elder's "Landscape with the Fall of Icarus." The painting in turn refers to the mythic story of Icarus, who, using a set of wings of wax, flew too near the sun, melted his wings, and fell to his death. The story is commonly understood to mean that one shouldn't dare too much, or that one should know one's boundaries. The painting is a panoramic landscape of springtime; in the foreground is a farmer ploughing, and in the background is the sea, with sailing ships. If you look closely, you can see a pair of tiny legs splashing into the sea. That's Icarus. Even though Icarus had this amazing flight, his death is just a tiny, insignificant detail in the picture.

Williams' poem tries to put the painting into words and highlights the insignificance of Icarus in the painting. One way of thinking about the poem is that Icarus is the poet, whose failure, like Icarus's, is ignored. The lines in question, "awake tingling / near / the edge of the sea" are a little difficult to understand. First, what is "awake"? Presumably, we are to understand that "the whole pageantry / of the year" was "awake," in other words, all the activity of a busy spring is visible. This, then, is what is "tingling / near / the edge of the sea." The word "tingling" suggests some sort of interaction between land and sea. The nature of this "tingling" is not clear, except in the general sense that the picture is "tingling" with activity. The next lines make Williams' attitude toward the scene clearer: the pageantry was "concerned / with itself," in other words, everyone in the painting was too busy to notice Icarus. The indifferent tone of Williams' poem both captures the spirit of the painting, and dramatizes how hard it is to get people to pay attention!

Who killed John Thornton?

Buck has left John and the mining camp to go hunt and has decided that he will bring down a great old bull moose. As he follows it and harries it for days, the Yeehat Indians have attacked the mining camp and killed John. Buck knows nothing of this until he kills and feasts on the moose and then begins his journey back to camp. On his way there he begins to sense that something has changed. He notes that the animals are different and making different noises and singing different songs.

When he finally reaches the camp, the Yeehats are still there and he attacks them with an incredible ferocity. They were so terrified and he was so ferocious that they thought it was the evil spirit come to torment them.

What's a theme for 'The Gift of the Magi' by O. Henry?

There are many themes in the short story, "Gift of the Magi."  For example, love, sacrifice, and generosity are all important themes.  However, if I had to pick the central theme and my favorite, I would pick the idea of self-forgetfulness. 

Both Jim and Della are thinking about each other, instead of themselves.  The proof of this is their desire to get gifts for one another by selling what is most valuable to them. 

Della sells her hair for Jim.  She wants to buy him a chain for his watch. Jim sells his watch to buy combs for Della's flowing hair.  Of course, in the end they possess gifts that they cannot use, but in the process they forget about themselves.  They learn the true meaning of Christmas - giving, generosity, and sacrifice.  For this reason, they are wise. 

How is the evil in To Kill A Mockingbird motivated by ignorance and prejudice?

Harper Lee does a wonderful job demonstrating that through ignorance and prejudice, evil can be a long-lasting result that plagues generations. Human nature tends to jump to conclusions first and ask questions later. Sometimes people don't even ask questions later, they simply jump to conclusions and spread false information to neighbors through gossip or down to their children who blindly believe their parents. Once the evil is passed down from one generation to another, it is very difficult to root it out. Stephanie Crawford, local children mimicking parents, and Mr. Ewell are a few examples of how evil is spread through ignorance and prejudice.

Stephanie Crawford - The Gossip - She is ignorant because she doesn't gather all of the facts first before spreading information to children like Jem. She tells Jem what happened to Boo Radley in his past, but she also doesn't teach him to be kind to others who are different. Rather, she goes and tells a fantastic tale about Boo looking in her window at night. This creates more prejudice and fear that eventually demonizes the poor man. 

"So Jem received most of his information from Miss Stephanie Crawford, a neighborhood scold, who said she knew the whole thing" (11).

Stephanie only tells stories to make herself look important to others--that's her ignorant motivation. People like that shouldn't be taken honestly for their word because she sure helps to spread the ignorance.

The Children - Jem Finch, Cecil Jacobs and Cousin Francis are both good examples of children who listen to the ignorance and prejudice they hear at home (or in the neighborhood), believe them, and then go spread the same around. Jem spreads the Boo Radley ghost stories (11-12), Cecil tells everyone at school that Scout's dad "defends" N--s (74-75), and Francis tells her that Atticus is a "N-- lover" (83). Incidents like these just perpetuate the problems we see in society. Luckily, Atticus, Maudie, and others do their best to teach and lead by example so that some of the ignorance and prejudice can be stopped.

Bob Ewell - This man represents evil in many forms because his laziness, ignorance, and prejudice rule his life. Everything this man does is selfish and self-serving. He spreads ignorance by not having his children get a good education, by teaching them that whites are better than blacks, by teaching them that lying is alright, and that hurting other people is fine if they've hurt your pride. Notice that Atticus never calls Bob his friend like he does Walter Cunningham. There's just something twisted about Bob. It's as if his poverty, lack of education and trashy status in the community are also consequences fueled by his ignorance and prejudice; and, he is a product of generations of Southern philosophy in many ways. Even after Bob spits in Atticus's face, Atticus still finds a way to understand him by saying the following:

"Jem, see if you can stand in Bob Ewell's shoes a minute. I destroyed his last shred of credibility at that trial, if he had any to begin with. The man had to have some kind of comeback, his kind always does. So if spitting in my face and threatening me saved Mayella Ewell one extra beating, that's something I'll gladly take. He had to take it out on somebody and I'd rather it be me than that houseful of children out there" (218).

Thus, ignorance and prejudice seem to motivate bad behavior in people, which perpetuates more ignorance and prejudice. It's a vicious cycle that hopefully ends with good people like Atticus, Miss Maudie, and others like them standing up for what is right.

What is the national debt and the complexities surrounding it?

It is simple enough to tell you what the national debt is, but it is not possible to know what complexities your professor has discussed in class or what sorts of essay questions he might ask about them.  I would strongly advise that you consult your class notes and/or talk to your professor and any TA you might have.

The national debt is the accumulated money that the United States owes as a country.  When we talk about the national debt, we need to differentiate it from the national deficit.  The deficit is the amount which government revenues fall short of spending in a given year.  The debt is the accumulation of all prior years’ deficits (less a very few years when we had government surpluses). 

That much is straightforward and does not depend on anything that your professor has said.  However, the complexities surrounding the debt have very much to do with what your Professor Hampson has discussed in class.  One complexity might be the fact that different amounts of the debt are owed to different people.  Some of the debt is owed to domestic sources and some to foreign sources.  Those parts of the debt have very different implications for the US.  Another complexity could be the fact that some people believe that it is good to have a debt.  If we could not have a debt, we would lack flexibility to engage in fiscal policy during recessions and we might have a hard time doing things like waging unexpected wars.  Another complexity might be the debate over whether debt “crowds out” private borrowing or whether it actually helps us by creating things like infrastructure that pay off over the long term.  Another complexity might be the difficulty of dealing with the debt when our deficits are so large and so much of our deficit spending is driven by entitlements rather than by discretionary spending that can be cut relatively easily.  All of these are possible complexities about the national debt.  It is very important that you find out which of these complexities have been addressed in your textbook or in class sessions.

From where are they coming in Of Mice and Men? Why are they camping out? What does Lennie have in his pocket?

We can find all of this information in chapter one of the novella. George and Lennie are coming from a place called Weed.  They left that place in haste, because the people there accused Lennie of attempting rape. Lennie likes to touch soft things. This brings him comfort. When he touched a girl’s dress, she took it the wrong way and accused him of rape.  So, George and Lennie fled for their lives.

George and Lennie are camping out by the river, because the bus dropped them off in the wrong place.  They are spending the night there and resting before they get to their final destination. They are headed to a new ranch to get work.  They are migrant workers.

As to what Lennie has in his pocket is a dead mouse. As stated above, Lennie loves to touch soft things.  The problem is that dead mice can get him sick.  So, George has him throw away the mouse.  All these events show the reader that Lennie is mentally challenged.

What are compounds?

Substances can be classified into three categories: elements, compounds and mixtures. An element is a pure form of matter and is composed of atoms of only one type and cannot be further divided. A compound is made up of two or more elements in a specific ratio and can be further divided. A mixture is a combination of different elements and/or compounds. 

A compound can be divided into elements by using chemical means. The properties of a compound are different from those of its individual constituent elements. An example of a compound is water (`H_2O` ), in which two elements, hydrogen and oxygen are mixed in a 2:1 ratio. Irrespective of the amount of water, all its molecules will always have this fixed ratio. Also, hydrogen is combustible, whereas oxygen is necessary for combustion. In comparison, water is used for extinguishing fires (and hence has different properties than hydrogen or water).

Hope this helps. 

In Act Two, Scene 2, who seems to be more courageous, Macbeth or Lady Macbeth?

In Act Two, Scene 2, Macbeth exits Duncan's chamber and tells his wife that he committed the murder. He is clearly shaken and laments about his actions. Macbeth looks down at his bloody hands and says "this is a sorry sight." Macbeth then tells his wife that Duncan's chamberlains woke each other up when one cried "Murder!". They then blessed each other and Macbeth comments that he was not able to say "Amen." Macbeth goes on to tell his wife that he heard a voice say "Sleep no more!" and Lady Macbeth responds by telling him that he's allowed himself to become weak and cowardly. She then tells him to wash his hands off and calls him a coward for not placing the daggers by the chamberlains. Lady Macbeth then takes it upon herself to enter Duncan's chamber to put the daggers in their proper place. Throughout this scene, Lady Macbeth clearly seems to have more courage. Unlike her husband, Lady Macbeth is focused on completing the task. She dismissed Macbeth's fears of hearing voices and told him to wash the blood from his hands. Lady Macbeth is level-headed, while her husband is shaken, confused, and full of regret. 

How do I write an introduction for a research paper on blood pressure?

An effective introduction for a research paper presents a concise summary of what the reader should expect to learn from the paper. In a scientific research paper, the introduction is presented as a leading and separate section of the paper, and presents a summary of the purpose, methods, clinical results and conclusions of the study. It should be constructed only after other sections of the paper are complete. If the paper is a topical review of blood pressure, the scope and intended audience of the paper should first be identified. The content contained in the introduction and the paper will be dependent on these parameters. For a review paper on human blood pressure, the introduction should define blood pressure physiologically, discuss how blood pressure is regulated and measured, delineate normal vs. abnormal measurements, and identify factors associated with abnormal readings. This should be followed by a discussion of measures for treatment, and a conclusion citing current trends in research regarding blood pressure. 

What were three difficulties caused by the Articles of Confederation?

One difficulty was a major fiscal crisis confronting the new nation. Both the states and the national government had enormous debts from the Revolutionary War. The problem was that under the Articles of Confederation, the national government essentially lacked the power to tax. Therefore it could not raise enough money to service the national debt, and could not inspire much confidence among potential creditors among the nations of Europe. 

Another problem was the lack of unity in dealing with foreign affairs. The British were quick to exploit this weakness by maintaining forts on the American frontier in contravention of the Treaty of Paris that had ended the Revolutionary War. Spanish influence among Western settlers was also seen as a problem, and farmers who moved west of the Appalachian worried that they couldn't ship their produce down the Mississippi River, as Spain controlled the city of New Orleans. There was little the national government, which couldn't really raise an army, and which totally lacked diplomatic clout, could do about it.

Finally, in the absence of a central authority with the sole power to regulate interstate commerce, many of the states levied tariffs on each other's goods, a potentially ruinous development. This created enormous animosity between many of the states, and was, in fact, was one of the reasons that the first meetings of state delegates was called at Annapolis, Maryland one year before the Philadelphia Convention. 

What is the overall mood at Jack's feast in Lord Of The Flies?

This was the first time since being on the island that the boys would be savouring meat, so one would expect that the mood would be one of excitement and joy. The overall mood was, however, tense and uncomfortable.

The reason for this was that in the process of hunting, the signal fire had been forgotten and had died. A ship had passed by in the distance and would most likely have been drawn to the smoke, which meant rescue. When Jack and the hunters returned with their bounty, Ralph, who was extremely upset, confronted him.

Ralph spoke.
“You let the fire go out.”
Jack checked, vaguely irritated by this irrelevance but too happy to let it worry him.
“We can light the fire again. You should have been with us, Ralph. We had a smashing time. The twins got knocked over—”

Those who had gone on the hunt were enthralled by their experience and wanted to share, but Ralph would not allow it. When Jack started talking about the hunt, Jack reiterated what he had said earlier. He added:

“There was a ship. Out there. You said you’d keep the fire going and you let it out!”
He took a step toward Jack, who turned and faced him.
“They might have seen us. We might have gone home—”

Piggy soon joined the argument and the realisation that they could have been rescued dawned on the other boys. Some of the younger ones began to cry. Jack became indignantly upset when Piggy kept on nagging and he turned against him, hitting him in the stomach with his fist. He then smacked him on the head sending Piggy's glasses flying. One of the lenses was broken and Piggy cried out that he now had only one eye. Jack copied him and the hunters began to laugh. Jack scrambled up towards Piggy who was behind a rock, causing more laughter. Jack later apologized about the fire and earned the admiration of the boys for being such a gentleman and doing 'the decent thing.'

Once the fire had been made, the tension lifted somewhat but the general strain prevailed. The boys tried cooking the meat by using a stake over the fire but that did not work, so each boy took a chunk and skewered it onto a branch or stick to be roasted in the fire, also burning themselves in the process. Ralph and Piggy both dribbled and Jack gave Ralph a half cooked piece of meat into which he immediately sank his teeth. Piggy was not given anything and when he complained, Simon gave him his. Jack, who wanted to punish Piggy, was upset about this and cut off a chunk of meat which he threw to Simon, commanding him to eat.

Jack was clearly enraged and shouted that he had gotten them all meat, stressing: 

“I painted my face—I stole up. Now you eat—all of you—and I—” Slowly the silence on the mountain-top deepened till the click of the fire and the soft hiss of roasting meat could be heard clearly. Jack looked round for understanding but found only respect. Ralph stood among the ashes of the signal fire, his hands full of meat, saying nothing.

Jack had gained the boys' respect, but no one spoke. The tension was still palpable. Maurice broke the silence when he asked questions about the hunt. Jack could not stand the idea of someone else telling his story and started talking about the hunt. Soon the other boys joined in and the mood changed. Maurice ran into centre pretending to be a pig and the boys started dancing and chanting:

“Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Bash her in.”

Ralph, who resented and envied their celebration, waited until they had stopped dancing and singing to announce that he was calling a meeting: 

“I’m calling an assembly.”
One by one, they halted, and stood watching him.
“With the conch. I’m calling a meeting even if we have to go on into the dark. Down on the platform. When I blow it. Now.”
He turned away and walked off, down the mountain.

How does the community react to Mrs. Radley's death in To Kill a Mockingbird? How is her death disappointing to Jem and Scout?

At the beginning of Chapter 8, Mrs. Radley dies of natural causes. Scout mentions that her death had a small effect on the community of Maycomb and people hardly noticed. The Radleys were "foot-washing Baptists" who did not socialize with their neighbors like the majority of citizens in Maycomb. Scout says that the only time the neighbors saw Mrs. Radley was when she was watering her cannas. Scout and Jem are upset when Atticus tells them that she died of natural causes. They figured that Boo Radley had finally killed his own mother. At this point in the novel, Jem and Scout are still under the impression that Boo Radley is a violent individual who wreaks havoc throughout the neighborhood and is capable of harming his family members.

In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, what is the correlation between Huck's adventures on shore and his loss of innocence?

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is called a picaresque or rite of passage story.  It is a story about a young boy who grows up through the obstacles and hardships he faces, through the decisions he makes, through the lessons he learns, and through his life experiences.  Huck grows and matures during the novel, and it is seen whenever he goes on shore and learns something new about society or humankind.  Every time Huck goes on shore he changes identity.  He becomes a girl, George Jackson, and eventually takes on the persona of Tom Sawyer.  This change in identity indicates that Huck can’t be his true self when he is with society.  He is only the “true” Huck when he is on the river.  This allows Huck to be a bystander and view and witness the events of the novel.  It also gives him the opportunity to develop and grow his moral values.  Throughout the novel, he learns about people and how their actions affect others.  He learns about the gullibility of people through the King and Duke.  He learns about the devastating effects of honor and pride through the Grangerfords and Shepardsons, and about cowardice of a mob through Colonel Sherburn.  Each time he goes on shore, he learns something new.  The series of lessons he learns and the obstacles he faces throughout the novel cause Huck to lose his innocence and pass from childhood to adulthood. 

Why there was a strain between the families of Romeo and Juliet?

The very first mention of this feud is in the play's Prologue.  The speaker refers to both families, the Capulets and the Montagues, as "alike in dignity" (line 1); thus they are of the same class and social standing.  Further, they bear toward one another an "ancient grudge" that, during the course of the play, will result in "new mutiny" (3).  The cause of their long-standing feud is never revealed to the audience; however, we see the new examples of insults the families trade in the play.  In fact, the very first scene presents such a conflict when Sampson and Gregory, of the house of Capulet, end up engaging in a street fight with two servants of the house of Montague when Sampson asserts that his master is "better" than theirs (1.1.61).  Further, when Romeo and his friends go to the party at the Capulets' house, Tybalt takes it as a terrible insult and wants to fight Romeo the next day.  When Romeo refuses to fight, Romeo's friend, Mercutio, fights Tybalt instead, believing that Romeo dishonors himself by resisting.  When Tybalt kills Mercutio, Romeo kills Tybalt, increasing the tensions between the houses even more.

It is possible that, since both families are so well off, that the patriarchs fought over land or property or something of that effect.  Perhaps they wounded each other's pride a long time ago and have never dropped the grudges they held.  We simply don't know for sure because it is never stated in the play.

In the Odyssey, how does Odysseus ignore other's advice?

Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus sometimes lets his pride prevent him from listening to the advice of others. One example of this occurs in Book 9, while Odysseus recounts his past adventures to the Phaeacians. While journeying through the land of the Cyclopes, Odysseus encountered Polyphemus the cyclops. Odysseus and his men were imprisoned by the monster, but Odysseus used his cunning and intelligence to escape without the cyclops even learning his name.

Odysseus was upset Polyphemus would never know who had foiled his plot, so he wanted to yell his name as he sailed away. Odysseus' men advised against it, and they checked him several times. As Odysseus recounts, they exhorted him to keep his name a secret: "Hard one, why are you trying once more to stir up this savage man."

However, Odysseus did not heed their advice. As he recounts:

So they spoke, but could not persuade the great heart in me, but once again in the anger of my heart I cried to him: Cyclops, if any...man asks you who it was that [blinded you], tell him that you were blinded by Odysseus.

This had unfortunate consequences for Odysseus and his men. Polyphemus was the son of Poseidon, and Poseidon sought vengeance by later wrecking Odysseus' ship; only Odysseus survived.

What do you think is the most important conflict in this story; explain why?

The most important conflict in Toni Cade Bambara’s short story “Raymond’s Run” is the inner conflict experienced by the protagonist Hazel Elizabeth Deborah Parker, who is known as Squeaky. As the story begins, Squeaky’s personality is defined as the fastest runner in her Brooklyn neighborhood, and as the reluctant caregiver for her disabled brother. She struggles with her interpersonal relationships with other girls and is often considered to be tough and standoffish. But, after her running experience at the annual May Day celebration, Squeaky has a change in her attitude. Her brother, Raymond, runs the race stride for stride with her, even though they are separated by a fence. She realizes that Raymond has potential to be a good runner if she takes the time to coach him. Also, during the race, the new girl in the neighborhood challenges her. After the race, they are able to genuinely smile at each other realizing that they have the ability share a mutual respect. Squeaky’s inner conflict is released.

What did Macbeth ask or say when he is told his prophecy?

When Macbeth hears the prophecy, he doesn't believe it. The witches greet him as "thane of Glamis," which is his current title, but also as "thane of Cawdor," a title belonging to a man Macbeth believes to be still living. Becoming king, he adds, "stands not within the prospect of belief." He is obviously genuinely taken aback, as his companion Banquo asks him why he seems "to fear things that do sound so fair." Of course, Banquo himself is the subject of a prophecy. Macbeth demands that the witches explain themselves, and how they came by such knowledge. Later in the scene, as the witches depart, he learns that one part of the prophecy has come true. The thane of Cawdor is about to be executed for his role in a rebellion against Duncan and Macbeth will be the new thane of Cawdor. This causes him to think the next part of the witches' prophecy might be true, and that he might become king. When the scene closes, he has gone from dismissing the witches as tricksters to admitting that "if chance will have me king, why chance may crown me without my stir." So Macbeth's spoken responses run from incredulity to astonishment to anticipation of what the future might hold. 

How would Holden react to an American high school? What would he say? What words would he choose?

Holden Caulfield would be better off going to an American high school because he's completely depressed and hating life at private preparatory schools. Granted, Holden is depressed mostly because he never properly dealt with his brother's death, but if he were able to go home each night after school and be with his family, he may not have gone AWOL (absence without leave) like he did. He would probably still have the same foul mouth, smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol, but he might also be around girls more often who would encourage him to stop doing those self-destructive things. 

Holden would still see bullying at an average high school, too, and he would more than likely find teachers and other adults to call "phony." Of all the words that Holden uses in the book, the word "phony" is definitely one of his favorites. However, in today's world Holden would probably use the word "fake" rather than "phony." Substitute "fake" for "phony" in the  the following quotes and they would sound like a teenager from today.

1. 
   

   "One of the biggest reasons I left Elkton Hills was because I was surrounded by phonies. That's all. They were coming in the goddam window" (13).

   
   


2. 
   

   ". . . then old Haas would just shake hands with them and give them a phony smile and then he'd go talk, for maybe a half an hour, with somebody else's parents" (14).

   
   


3. 
   

   "He said he talked to Jesus all the time. Even when he was driving his car. That killed me. I can just see the big phony bastard shifting into first gear and asking Jesus to send him a few more stiffs" (17).

   
   


4. 
   

   "The trouble with me is, I always have to read that stuff by myself. If an actor acts it out, I hardly listen. I keep worrying about whether he's going to do something phony every minute" (117).

   
   

(The first quote refers to his excuse for leaving Elkton Hills; the second one is about a former teacher; the third one is about a mortician; and, the fourth one is about reading classic books or plays versus seeing the movies about them.)