Why are Bill and Sam not afraid of the Red Chief running away?

The story that you are asking about is "The Ransom of Red Chief" by O. Henry.  Red Chief's real name is Johnny Dorset, and Bill and Sam have kidnapped him for ransom money.  Unfortunately for Bill and Sam, it's more like little Johnny is holding them hostage.  The reader learns early on that Johnny is not likely to try and escape the cave and his captors, because Johnny thinks that he is having a grand old adventure with the two bumbling criminals.  

Yes, sir, that boy seemed to be having the time of his life. The fun of camping out in a cave had made him forget that he was a captive himself.

About a page after the above quote, Sam flat out asks Johnny if he would like to go home.  The following is Johnny's response.  

“Aw, what for?” says he. “I don’t have any fun at home. I hate to go to school. I like to camp out. You won’t take me back home again, Snake-eye, will you?”

Johnny is practically begging his kidnappers to keep him kidnapped, because he is having more fun than he does at home.  He gets to camp in a cave, play cowboy and Indian games, and terrorize two men that have to put up with his antics.  Johnny is having the time of his life, so Bill and Sam are quite certain that he will not try to escape.  

What was Amir's terrible act or non-act?

In Khaled Hosseini's novel The Kite Runner, Amir is haunted by a childhood decision, which ends up motivating many of his adult decisions. This decision was, as your question noted, an inaction rather than an action. 

When Amir is a young boy, he witnesses the rape of Hassan, a boy whose relationship with Amir is essentially that of servant. Amir does not interrupt the crime, nor does he choose to share it with anyone. In fact, in his guilt, he turns on Hassan, treating him cruelly, never apologizing for his inactive role in the situation. 

It is later revealed that Hassan was actually Amir's half-brother, which exacerbates Amir's horrible feelings of guilt. However, in the end, Amir is able to redeem himself for his inaction during his childhood.

What is the velocity of a marble after 8 seconds, if it is dropped from a sky scraper?

When we say that the marble was dropped, we simply mean that its initial velocity was 0 m/s. Any object dropped from a height, experiences an acceleration due to Earth's gravity. This acceleration is known as acceleration due to gravity and is denoted as 'g'. The value of acceleration due to gravity is 9.81 m/s^2. Thus, the marble will experience an acceleration equal to acceleration due to gravity.

Using the equation of motion:

v = u + at

where, v is the final velocity, t is time elapsed, u is initial velocity and a is object's acceleration.

Hence, final velocity, after 8 seconds is given as:

v = 0 + (-9.81 m/s^2) x (8 seconds) = - 78.49 m/s

A negative sign is commonly used for denoting the downward velocity direction, since (by convention) upwards is considered a positive direction.

Today is your first day as the Pilot Officer of the Imperial Super Star Destroyer Executor. Darth Vader himself has given you the order to place...

First, let's calculate the radius of the orbit of your ship, which is the distance between the ship and the center of the Death star. So it is the sum of the radius of the Death star and the altitude above its surface: 900 km + 450 km = 1350 km, or `R = 1.35*10^6`

meters.

Now we can figure out how fast the ship has to move to maintain the period of 19 hours. The period is the interval of time it takes for the ship to orbit around the star one time, that is, to cover the distance equal to the circumference of the circle with the radius of the orbit: `2piR`

The speed with which the ship has to move is distance divided by time, or

`v = (2piR)/T = (2*pi*1.36*10^6)/(19*3600) =124.9 m/s`

The speed of the ship has to be 124.9 m/s.

The mass of the Death star can now be found from the second Newton's Law. The centripetal acceleration of the ship equals `v^2/R` , and the gravitational force is

`(GMm)/R^2 = mv^2/R` , where m is the mass of the ship and M is the mass of the Death star. From here

`M = (v^2R)/(G) = 3.12*10^20`

kg.

The acceleration due to gravity on the surface of the star is

`g = (GM)/R_(star) = (6.67*10^(-11)*3.12*10^20)/(900000) =2.34*10^4`

m/s^2.

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In the book The Giver, does the community have contact with outlying communities?

In The Giver, there is discussion of other communities in the very first chapter, in the scene in which Jonas' family has the after-dinner ritual, "the evening telling of feelings" (5).  Lily relates that a group has visited with her Childcare group, and one of the visitors does not know how to take turns, which made her angry.  Jonas reminds Lily that she has visited other communities with her age group, and that he has, too. Lily learns from this conversation that it is difficult to be in a place that has different rules, and that her anger is really misplaced.

The other communities seem to be distinct from the "Elsewhere" in the story, since Elsewhere represents  places that do not have communities like Jonas'. Elsewhere means places that do not have rules or dome protection or Sameness.  I think we can infer this from the first chapter, too, where we learn that a pilot who mistakenly flew over the community set off a panic in the community and that this pilot was Released because of his error.  So, there are supplies, perhaps, that the community needs from Elsewhere, things it cannot produce itself, but it maintains its protection by Releasing anyone who strays within its boundaries.  On the other hand, the other communities are welcomed for visits, and members of this community visit other communities, too. While there seem to be differences amongst the communities, it seems reasonable to infer that all are subject to various rules and all maintain a distance from Elsewhere.  

Why are the students so unwilling to associate with anyone outside their ethnic/racial groups? Where does this intolerance come from?

Interesting question! In the book The Freedom Writers many of the students are unwilling to associate with other students from different ethnic or racial backgrounds.

Throughout the book, students comment about their unwillingness to associate with others from different backgrounds. Although many of the students find this behavior in others (such as during their reading of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet) to be wrong or illogical, they find the segregation to be normal with themselves.

In the book, several of the students express that blending the different backgrounds into one classroom seems problematic. Many of the students segregate during lunch. This appears normal to many of the students. As one student reveals:

“This school is just asking for trouble when they put all of these kids in the same class. It’s a disaster waiting to happen.”

Although there are numerous different explanations about this intolerance, there are some particularly noteworthy causes. As some students illustrate, the segregation has existed for years; thus, change seems unlikely. Furthermore, many of the students do not believe they can cause a change of such magnitude. Others appear scared of upsetting their parents. Lastly, violence instills this separation as well.

Consequently, segregation is commonly seen in this book. Throughout the story, students begin to question the intolerance. However, several factors encourage their unwillingness to associate, such as violence and fear.

What is a membrane?

In biology, a membrane refers to a thin surface that serves as a boundary, partition, or lining that separates two areas. Membranes often serve to protect areas.

An example of a biological membrane is the cell membrane. Most cell membranes are made of two layers of phospholipids. For this reason, cell membranes are sometimes referred to as lipid bilayers. The phosphate heads of the phospholipids are hydrophilic and, therefore, face outwards. The fatty acid tails of the phospholipids are hydrophobic and face inwards.

Cell membranes are said to be selectively permeable. This means that cell membranes allow some things into the cell, but keep other things out. In this way, the cell membrane serves as a protective barrier to a cell’s internal contents.

Embedded within the cell membrane are proteins. These proteins serve as channels through which only specific substances can pass. This is one way in which the cell membrane is able to be selectively permeable.

Describe Annie Sullivan. What kind of a young woman was she? Cite three examples from the play to support your views.

Annie Sullivan is a determined woman.  She does not give up, even when her efforts do not work right away.  She is patient, and does not get easily frustrated.  She also suffers from a lingering sadness due to her unpleasant childhood memories.

Annie's determination is revealed in Act II of "The Miracle Worker."  Helen tries to take food off of Annie's plate with her hands.  Annie refuses to let the child do this.  Helen's family had let her do this every day for years.  Despite protests from Helen's parents, Annie will not let Helen touch her food.  Each time Helen reaches to grab food off Annie's plate, the woman physically stops her.  Helen becomes upset, but this does not phase Annie.  She is determined that Helen's bad manners will stop that day.  Soon Annie attempts to have Helen eat with a spoon instead of her hands.  Annie places the spoon in her hand and Helen tosses it away.  This happens many times.  Annie's determination will not let her give up.  After many attempts, "Annie, with Helen's hand, takes up another spoonful and shoves it into her open mouth. Helen swallows involuntarily."  The battle is still not over, but progress has been made.

Patience is another quality that Annie possesses.  She spells words into Helen's hand over and over again, but the child does not understand.  Annie displays patience.  She does not get angry at Helen for not understanding.  Instead, she patiently tries again.  She does this until Helen learns that each word means something.

Annie is a woman who suffers from sadness.  She had been sent to an almshouse with her brother as a child.  She cared for him as best she could, but he still became sick.  He eventually died.  Throughout the play, Annie has flashbacks to conversations with her brother.  These memories haunt her.

How did Helen like Niagara falls? Why did people feel surprised at her response?

Helen visited Niagara Falls in 1893.  Because Helen could not see or hear, she relied on her other senses to experience the majesty of the powerful falls.  Helen described that she "felt the air vibrate and the earth tremble."  She explained that people sometimes asked her how she could experience beauty without being able to see or hear.  She went on to say that she could not define how she was able to experience beauty.  People seemed unable to understand how Helen could connect with nature because she did not have two of her senses.  

In that same year, Helen and Miss Sullivan visited the World's Fair.  Helen connected her experiences at Niagara Falls by describing that through touch, she was able to experience the wonders of the Fair. Helen was given special permission to experience the exhibits through touch.  Normally, no one was permitted to touch these objects.  Helen "took in the glories of the Fair with [her] fingers."

Why is Philip Pirrip nicknamed "Pip" in Great Expectations?

Pip got his nickname from the fact that he could not pronounce his name when he was young.

Pip is an orphan.  His father, his mother, and most of his siblings are dead.  He is raised by the one sister he has left.

My father's family name being Pirrip, and my Christian name Philip, my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer or more explicit than Pip. So, I called myself Pip, and came to be called Pip. (Ch. 1)

The name keeps Pip perpetually young.  It demonstrates his sister’s lack of respect for him.  She is married to a blacksmith, Joe, who is almost childlike himself.  Joe is generally the only one kind to Pip.

Pip does get other nicknames.  After all, how long can you stick with Pip?  His friend Herbert Pocket nicknames him Handel, after a composer who wrote a song about a blacksmith.  He doesn’t like Pip’s given name any better than his nickname.

"I don't take to Philip," said he, smiling, "for it sounds like a moral boy out of the spelling-book, who was so lazy that he fell into a pond, or so fat that he couldn't see out of his eyes … (Ch. 22)

Estella does like the name Pip though, and continues to call him that.  Pip would take any name from Estella.  She is the love of his life from the time he is a small child, taken to Miss Havisham’s house to play—and train Estella in the fine art of manipulating men.

In naming his character something so diminutive, Dickens emphasizes Pip’s childishness.  He never really grows up, so he never really gets a grown-up name.  Throughout the story, Pip remains selfish and impetuous, with a big ego and very little common sense to go with it.  Money isn’t everything, and money does not make one a gentleman.

How would I separate a mixture of salt and sand using hexane?

Actually, what you are asking for is simply not possible.  Both salt (sodium chloride) and sand are powdery solids.  As a result, they cannot be mechanically separated by simply picking the individual grains apart.  So you must perform some kind of physical change to one of them that makes the two able to be separated.  Normally, that would be to freeze, dissolve, boil, melt, or a similar physical change process one of the two chemicals in the mixture without changing the other one.  Sand is basically a mineral and therefore cannot be melted or changed without incredibly extreme conditions.  That means that the salt is the chemical that must be changed.  Normally that would mean to dissolve the salt in water to separate the two.  Hexane is an organic solvent and is incredibly non-polar.  A polar solvent like water is required to dissolve a salt.  If you put salt in hexane, even hot hexane, non of the salt will dissolve, nor or course will the sand.  So adding hexane to the mixture will do absolutely nothing and will not allow you to separate the two components.

What secret code is spoken in Number the Stars? Name all of the secret code statements, questions, or exclamations.

Shortly before Annemarie, Ellen, her sister, and her mother left for Uncle Henrik's farm, she heard her father on the telephone.  He was talking to Uncle Henrik, but their conversation seemed strange.  

First, her father asked Uncle Henrik if the weather was "good for fishing."  After listening for Uncle Henrik's response on the other end of the line, her father stated that the rest of his family would be visiting.  He also mentioned that they would be bringing "a carton of cigarettes" to him.  He said that there were a lot of cigarettes in Copenhagen.  Annemarie found this odd, because cigarettes were almost never available since the war started.  Referring again to the cigarettes, her father added to Uncle Henrik that "'there [would] be others coming to you as well.'"  

Annemarie was suspicious of this strange conversation.  Then she realized that her father was speaking in code.  He was really talking about Ellen.  Ellen was the cigarette.

What was the Alabama March about?

In 1965, Martin Luther King, Jr. helped organize a march from Selma, Alabama to the state capital in Montgomery, Alabama.  This march was focused on registering southern African Americans to vote.  It took three days for the protesters to march from Selma to Montgomery.  Along the way, they were protected by "federalized National Guard troops."  

In 1964, the Civil Rights Acts changed laws to prevent discrimination for a variety of things, including voting.  Voters could not be discriminated against because of their race.  When organizations tried to register African American voters, they were met with resistance.  Local officials were very much against African Americans registering to vote.  In 1965 in a town near Selma, a large group of people protested peacefully.  This group was attacked.  In the midst of the chaos that followed, a protester was shot by a State Trooper.  After this, King and others organized a march.  They attempted this march twice and were met with resistance.  On the third attempt, they were allowed to proceed.

What can you infer was the reason for holding the lottery each year?

Assuming this question is about the short story "The Lottery," written in 1948 by Shirley Jackson, it is implied that the lottery is held every year to ensure a good harvest. This is shown when Old Man Warner voices his disapproval for villages who are thinking of giving up the lottery. 

Old Man Warner snorted. "Pack of crazy fools," he said. "Listening to the young folks, nothing's good enough for them. Next thing you know, they'll be wanting to go back to living in caves, nobody work any more, live hat way for a while. Used to be a saying about 'Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon.' First thing you know, we'd all be eating stewed chickweed and acorns. There's always been a lottery," he added petulantly. "Bad enough to see young Joe Summers up there joking with everybody."

His reference to the old saying - "Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon" - alludes to how the lottery is meant to ensure that the corn harvest will be bountiful. Furthermore, his mentioning of "eating stewed chickweed and acorns" also implies that the lottery is vital (or so he thinks) in ensuring that the village will have a good harvest and, thus, eat well.

__________ carries oxygen and nutrients to all parts of the human body, and makes up 7-8 percent of their body weight

Blood carries oxygen and nutrients to all parts of your body and makes up seven to eight percent of your body weight. Since blood is composed of many cells, it is considered a tissue. 

Blood is actually a mixture of plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Each component is briefly described below:

- Plasma makes up about half of the blood mixture. It is made of water, sugar, fats, proteins and salts. The proteins help blood to clot. Plasma also transports blood cells throughout your body. Plasma delivers nutrients, antibodies, waste products, and chemical messengers.  

- Red blood cells deliver oxygen to cells and need. Red blood cells also pick up carbon dioxide so that it can be exported from the body via the respiratory system. 

- White blood cells, or leukocytes, help protect the body from infection. Some produce antibodies.

- Platelets help to clot blood. 

In a Tale of Two Cities, what incited Sydney Carton to plan a safe exit from Paris for Dr. Mannette, Lucie, and the others?

Sydney Carton learned that Lucie and her daughter were also to be condemned by the tribunal and most likely be put to death, because of their relationship to Charles Darnay, who is on his way to the guillotine the following day. Sydney therefore devises a plan by which Lucie, her daughter, her father, as well as Jerry and Miss Pross will be able to leave France before this happens. He plans to exchange places with Charles, having promised Lucie that he would do anything for her or for anyone she loves. He fulfills this promise with his life. He drugs Charles, exchanges places with him successfully due to their similarity of appearance, and has John Barsad take Charles out the prison to the carriage where Lucie and the others await. He willingly goes to his death, hoping in this way that he will achieve some kind of redemption for his worthless life.

In The Birds, on December 3, two apparently minor incidents occur--one involving the farmer and the other involving Nat. What are these incidents...

The story opens on December 3 with two seemingly minor incidents: Nat observes a change in the behavior of the local birds. He finds them restless and agitated, completely lacking in any intent. Furthermore, the birds do not seem to feel hunger nor any desire when they feed.

Similarly, the farmer, Mr. Trigg, has also noticed some changes, as he explains to Nat:

There are more birds about than usual…And daring, some of them, taking no notice of the tractor.

The men believe that the weather has brought about these changes, that the sudden shift from autumn to winter has caused them to act unusually, as Mr. Trigg confirms:

It will be a hard winter. That's why the birds are restless.

By referring to these events as she sets the story's scene, Du Maurier creates an interest in the behaviour of the birds while also foreshadowing what will happen. To reinforce this sense of interest, Du Maurier makes these events seem minor and irrelevant which, in fact, has the reverse effect.

What is the primary cause of sympatric speciation?

The primary force that drives sympatric speciation is reproductive isolation. It is more common in plants and generally occurs when polyploid individuals are produced. For instance due to a failure of normal mitotic division offspring having twice the number of chromosomes may be produced. These tetraploid individuals cannot reproduce with diploid individuals and thus can only reproduce amongst themselves: they are reproductively isolated. When they do reproduce the result is the creation of a new species.

In animals the mechanism of sympatric speciation is different. For instance if a group of flies feed on red and green apples. If at first they all feed on the red apples but at some point some of the flies begin to prefer green apples then we get two groups of flies which may have limited interaction with each other. As a result we get genetic variation within each gene pool.  As the members of each group continue to mate we get further genetic variation and eventually over time enough variation has occurred that we get a new species.

What are good examples of person vs. person (jealousy) conflict in Macbeth?

There are many instances of jealousy between characters in Macbeth. Macbeth is clearly jealous of King Duncan's power, but he also seems to harbor a similar, if not less explicit envy toward Banquo. Banquo is Macbeth's foil, in that he is honorable; also, in Act IV, the witches conjure eight kings who resemble Banquo ('For the blood-bolter'd Banquo smiles upon me / and points at them for this'). The message is clear: Banquo's heirs will be powerful kings. In this way, the slain man once again succeeds where Macbeth has failed (that is, in terms of having sons and heirs).

It could also be argued that Lady Macbeth is generally envious of men, who are able to wield power in ways she cannot (see Act II, 'Come, you spirits / unsex me here'). Last, toward the end of the play, Macbeth seems to envy those who are not plagued by a guilty consciousness (see Act I, especially 'Macbeth shall sleep no more').

What is meant by "globalization of culture?"

Globalization of culture describes an increase in uniformity of cultural practices throughout the world. Culture is made up of many different aspects including language, food, architecture, mannerisms, symbols, clothing, and ideals.

Our planet has become increasingly connected on a massive scale over the past millennium. Let's think back to the year 1,000 CE- when Europeans were just beginning to visit the New World. At this time, most people around the world lived a relatively isolated lifestyle. The state of technology demanded that much of a person's life be devoted to subsistence and not much else. It was not uncommon for someone to die in the very same house they were born in. People who did travel primarily did so for business reasons, and this was the nature of most cultural interchange at the time. Due to the low literacy rates of the time, letter-writing was uncommon, and the nature of infrastructure did not foster interchange which might have caused material culture to be more uniform. Whereas today, you could easily buy the same style of t-shirt or cup in almost any part of the world, a thousand years ago the styles of goods were highly dependent on resources available and the traditions of local artisans. Most goods were produced in the home, for the home, so the trade of a surplus of goods did not often have far-reaching destinations. However, the import and export of certain luxury goods like spices drove the economy throughout the Middle Ages.

Advances in transportation and communications technology has rapidly "connected" the world. The invention of steam-engines, while a little unimpressive to a modern person, had a profound impact on transportation and trade during the nineteenth century. Improvements in infrastructure (like roads) and literacy enabled written exchange from place to place, even from one side of the globe to the other! 

Since the late twentieth century, the degree of globalization has skyrocketed. Widespread use of the internet and cellular phones enables connections between people from all over the globe. Much of the increase in uniformity is unintentional. Not only are goods being transported around the world, so is culture. For example, the trade of coffee beans (beginning in the 15th century) has a major impact on the life we live today. Do you know anyone who likes to have a cup of coffee every morning? Coffee, native to Ethiopa, has become a common part of culture all over the world. Not only is the good transported, many people have a preferred "ritual" for when, where, and how to drink coffee, influenced by centuries of cultural exchange surrounding the coffee bean.

Globalization has both positive and negative aspects. It is a boon to humankind to be able to share information so quickly across such great distances. However, much of the trade and industry which promotes globalization thrives off of the exploitation of human labor. 

Why did Prince Prospero decide to randomly rush the masked figure?

When the masked figure (whom I will now refer to as the Red Death as he is later discovered to be) first appeared, he struck fear into the hearts of all, including the heart of Prince Prospero. The Red Death's costume was almost an exact replica of a corpse - and not just any corpse, but one that had been killed by the Red Death. The appearance of the Red Death was horrifying enough to make Prince Prospero shudder either from "terror or distaste", though he soon became angry. He ordered the other people at the party to seize the Red Death and unmask him, intending to hang him in the morning, but even though people moved towards him, no one dared to touch him. This allowed the Red Death to walk right past the prince and continue on unhindered, so the prince, angered by his guests' reluctance and his own fear, rushed towards the Red Death with a knife. Unfortunately, his bravery ended with his own death, and then the deaths of all the other guests. 

What type of poem is the "The Collar?"

Like most of George Herbert’s poems “The Collar” is a metaphysical poem. The poem, written in the early seventeenth century, discusses thoughts on life and religion. In general, metaphysical poetry uses strong images as it delves into the topics of love or religion. In this case, Herbert is dealing with a religious matter as indicated by the title of the poem. “The Collar” refers to the stiff neckwear worn to indicate that a person has devoted his life to religious pursuits, often giving up other ambitions. The narrator expounds on all that he has lost or wasted in his life.

What I have lost with cordial fruit?

Sure there was wine

Before my sighs did it; there was corn

before my tears did drown it.

He rages on about how his life was unencumbered but describes with vivid imagery everything he lost and his realization that life is not equal for all. However, the poem ends on a quiet note as he hears his calling from God, and he answers, “My Lord.” He accepts “The Collar” as his calling in life.

Why do things weigh less in water?

Based on the general definition of weight, which is defined in physics by the formula: Weight=Mass times Force of acceleration due to gravity, objects do not weigh less in water. They actually are the same weight as they are on dry land due to gravity acting at a constant acceleration on the mass of the object.

Objects due however "appear" to weigh less in water. This is due to what is known as buoyancy. Buoyancy is actually the upward force of a liquid acting on an object that is placed in it. This force, known as buoyant force has been shown to be equal to the weight of water the object displaces. This is known as archimedes principle. This principle allows one to calculate the "apparent mass" of an object under water, provided one knows the density of water and the volume, and mass, of the object.

Interestingly, this concept only applies to the volume of an object, which creates the upwards pressure, rather than the objects actual mass. For example, a square box made of plastic would displace as much water as an equally sized square box made of lead, meaning the buoyant force generated by both objects would be identical, despite the buoyant force appearing to have a greater effect on the less massive object. 

Hope this helps!

In To Kill a Mockingbird, what do we learn at the beginning of Chapter 10 about the way Scout and Jem feel about Atticus?

At the beginning of Chapter 10, Scout laments about her father's inability to partake in common physical activities and believes that he is a rather boring parent. Scout begins the chapter by calling Atticus old and feeble. Scout says that she and Jem could never brag about Atticus' abilities to their friends at school. Atticus is willing to play keep away with his son, but when Jem tries to get him to play tackle football, Atticus always says he's too old to play. The children note that Atticus is much older than the other parents they know. Scout mentions that Atticus does nothing that could arouse any admiration from her friends because he has a boring occupation. Atticus doesn't drive a truck, work on cars, or protect the county. He works in an office which is not exciting at all. Scout also notes that Atticus has poor vision and has to wear glasses, which does not make him look very manly. Another reason why Jem and Scout think Atticus is boring is that he does not participate in any fun activities like hunting, fishing, or playing poker. Overall, they believe that their father is an old, boring man, without any special talents.

How does Ulrich change his attitude toward his rival, and why do you suppose this happens in "The Interlopers"?

After being pinned beneath the huge branches of the beech tree, Ulrich begins to reconsider his enmity toward Georg Znaeym as he is faced with the possibility of death.

On a bitter winter night with a cruel wind blowing, Ulrich von Gradwitz decides to hunt for his enemy, so he gathers his men and ventures out in order to search for the "prowling thieves" he suspects are hunting in the contested strip of forest over which the two families have feuded for generations. Ulrich breaks away from his men, hoping to happen upon his enemy with no one to witness him.

Ulrich comes around a huge beech tree and abruptly faces his enemy. In this moment of sudden recognition, Nature interferes, breaking branches with a violence that sends the branches crashing upon the two men, pinning them beneath the tree's weight.

Imprisoned and bloodied by the branches, the two foes can do nothing to each other. They initially curse and threaten each other with retaliation when their men catch up to them; however, after some time in which they have struggled uselessly, Ulrich is able to pull out his wine flask:

The wine was warming and reviving to the wounded man, and he looked across with something like a throb of pity to where his enemy lay, just keeping the groans of pain and weariness from crossing his lips. 

Apparently, when he finds himself in such a life-or-death situation pinioned with his enemy, Ulrich rethinks the importance of this hatred, and he decides he should live in peace rather than enmity. Feeling pity for Georg, Ulrich offers him some of his wine. Then, as he considers things further, he asks Georg to be his friend.

Realizing that he and Georg are facing a life-and-death situation, Ulrich weighs the importance of life against the significance of a feud, and he finds that their lives and welfare are more important than their families' grudge.

If the difference between the dry bulb temperature and wet bulb temperature is 0°C, what is the relative humidity?

When the difference between wet and dry bulb temperature is zero, regardless of the unit of measurement, the humidity is 100% meaning the air is fully saturated with all the water molecules it can contain as gas. 

When the humidity is less than 100%, meaning the air can accept more gaseous water, the wet bulb temperature is lower than the dry bulb temperature because water releasing H2O gas molecules also releases heat during the process, thus cooling the water, which in a perfect measurement device such as a psychrometer, is called the wet bulb temperature.

This principle accounts for the fact that bodies of water are normally cooler than the ambient temperature (dry bulb) since they're releasing heat to the air through evaporation.

Devices such as cooling towers and evaporative coolers use this principle to cool water for air conditioning and other purposes such as condensing steam produced by nuclear reactors. The big towers depicted in pictures of nuclear power plants are just large water evaporators that cool plain water to near wet bulb temperature for this purpose. They contain no radioactive substances.

Does Rainsford believe that conflict is a universal condition? Why or why not?

This is a good question, but it must be said right from the beginning that we cannot give a definitive answer, because nowhere in the short story does Rainsford speak on this topic.  In fact, he is not a philosophizing type of man at all.  All we have are descriptions of Rainsford.  Therefore, we have to make deductions.  If we do, I would say that Rainsford does believe that conflict is a universal condition.

First, in the beginning of the story, Rainsford has a conversation with his friend, Whitney.  During this conversation, he says to Whitney that there are only two classes in the world – the hunter and the hunted.  From these words, it does seem that Rainsford believe that conflict is universal, because if there are these two classes, conflict will be inevitable.

Second, as the story progresses, Rainsford finds himself in the midst of a game of life and death with general Zaroff. When this happens, what Rainsford said earlier comes true.  He is the hunted and Zaroff is the hunter.  Conflict ensues.

At the end of the story, Rainsford comes face to face with Zaroff and presumably kills him. This is suggested as Rainsford sleeps in Zaroff’s bed.

In conclusion, it is probable that Rainsford believes that conflict is a universal condition.

What quote supports the idea that Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are mockingbirds?

At the end of the novel, in chapter 30, Scout learns that the person responsible for saving both her and Jem from the clutches of an angry Bob Ewell is none other than their mysterious neighbor, Boo Radley. She now comes to view him not as a scary phantom monster but as a kind and courageous protector and friend. She also learns from Atticus that to expose the shy and reclusive Boo as a hero to the general public would mean bringing him unwanted acclaim and attention and this would not be the right way to treat him after all that he did for them. Scout also remembers what she had been told before about never killing a mockingbird, since all that they ever do is bring goodness and light into our lives with their innocent yet beautiful singing. She now sees that Boo Radley is like the mockingbird because he had been the one to always leave little gifts for the children and although they taunted him, in the end he protected them from danger. Therefore, she now understands that he should not be harmed in any way. That is why she says,

"Well, it'd be sort of like shootin' a mockingbird, wouldn't it?"

Although this quote refers to Boo Radley at this point in the novel, it can also be said of Tom Robinson because he, too, was a character who was always good and kind, especially to Mayella Ewell when she asked for his help. He didn't deserve to be killed.

The metaphor of a mockingbird is used to represent both Tom Robinson and Boo Radley and this quote from Scout shows that she has come to understand why we must strive to protect the rights of those who are worthy and yet unable to protect themselves from the bad elements in our society. In saying those words, Scout has come of age and although she has lost her innocence, she has gained empathy and compassion for others.

What did Peter Wilks leave for his brothers after he passed away? Where do Harvey and William Wilks live?

In Chapter 25, the duke and king deceive Mary Jane, her sisters, and the townspeople by pretending to be Peter Wilks' brothers who are visiting from their home in England. The king pretends to be the English preacher, Harvey Wilks, and the duke pretends to be Peter and Harvey's other brother, William Wilks. After Peter's funeral, Mary Jane gives the king and duke a letter from Peter Wilks that he had written before he died. In the letter, Peter bestowed three thousand dollars, his tanyard, horses, and land to his daughters, and also gave three thousand dollars to his brothers, Harvey and William. The duke and king head to the cellar to retrieve the money, but decide to count it first. When they count it, there is four hundred and fifteen dollars missing. They decide to "make up the deffisit" by using the money from their previous con "The Royal Nonesuch." The duke then suggests that they give all the money to the girls to avoid suspicion. After they give the money to Peter's daughters, Dr. Robinson openly calls the king and duke frauds after hearing their unconvincing English accents. However, Mary Jane believes that the king and duke are actually Harvey and William Wilks and gives them the entire six thousand dollars to invest.

In The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, how does Bruno feel about his new home?

Bruno is dismayed when he sees where he is going to live because it is in such contrast to his lovely house in an interesting and exciting part of Berlin.

Whereas Bruno's former home was in an established neighborhood in the city, this house near the Polish border is completely isolated and on a desolate piece of land, but his house in the city was surrounded by others with streets to traverse that had fruit and vegetable stands emitting all sorts of smells. This new house is much smaller and seems to Bruno to be "the loneliest place in the world." As if all of this is not bad enough, there is no one for Bruno to play with and his friends are all back in Berlin. He tells his mother, "I think this was a bad idea," but she tells Bruno that they do not have the "luxury of thinking."

Without doubt, the new house could not be more different from the house that the family has moved from in Berlin, and Bruno's feelings about it are equally as disparate.

What is one example of cacophony in any scene of Act 2 of Macbeth?

In Act 2, Scene 2, Macbeth meets Lady Macbeth and tells her that he has killed Duncan. He asks her if she heard anything. She says she heard an owl scream and the crickets cry. She is on edge and these noises probably sound louder and more cacophonous than they a actually are. But to her, this is a cacophony. Both Macbeth and his wife are jumpy and full of anxiety at this point, so any noise is going to sound more dramatic and threatening than it normally would. The fact that she hears two animals of nature crying out suggests that nature itself is crying out against the murderous deed. It is as if nature is crying because things are out of balance. This notion of nature being out of balance is one of the major themes in the play. 

In this scene, Macbeth also says of Duncan and his guards, that one woke up and yelled "Murder!" This woke the others up, one of whom cried "God bless us!" To Macbeth, this would be startling and thus, a cacophony. He also hears "Sleep No More" repeatedly. These sounds strike him like alarm bells of his own guilt. 

There is a knock at the door and Macbeth is worried and frustrated that every single noise is like a cacophony to him: 

How is't with me, when every noise appals me? (II.ii.74) 

Scene 3 also begins with a loud knocking. Then, Lennox recalls strange screams in the night. Also in this scene, when MacDuff learns of the murder, he orders the alarm bell to ring. These sudden loud noises are all signs of things being out of sync, out of order. The noises also affect Macbeth and his wife more dramatically because they are mentally weary, guilty, and anxious. 

How is ultrasonic sound used in industry?

Ultrasonic sound, also known as ultrasound, is produced by sound waves that have frequencies so high that they cannot be heard by the human ear. Explanations of four applications of ultrasonic sound within industry are provided below.

1. Cleaning

Many industries use ultrasonic sound to clean. Ultrasonic cleaning is beneficial because it does not use a brush, which can scrape surfaces. Ultrasonic cleaning is mostly used on hard surfaces, such as metals, glass, ceramics, and plastics.

2. Plastic welding

The process was invented in the 1960's and used to weld toys, appliances, and car parts.

3. Metal welding

This process was developed in the 1950's and used mostly on semiconductors and high conductivity metals. Metal welding is beneficial because it produces relatively low amounts of heat and low amounts of distortion experienced by the metals.

4. Sonar

Sonar stands for sound navigation & ranging. Ultrasonic waves are emitted into the water. The waves hit objects and are reflected back to the sonar device. Submarines, scuba divers, and fishing trawlers can determine how far an object is by the amount of time it takes for the reflected wave to return to the sonar device.

In Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki and James D. Houston, why is Jeanne's father "suddenly a man with no rights"?

This happens in the first chapter of the novel. Jeanne's father is a Japanese immigrant, a longtime resident of the United States who had raised a family there, and his children are American citizens, since they were born on American soil. But World War II was going on, meaning the US was at war with Japan, and suddenly everyone was turning a suspicious eye on Japanese people living in the US. US government officials worried that people of Japanese heritage would sympathize with the Japanese government and that they would commit treason against the US, damaging the war effort.

Normally, people living in the US have certain rights: the police can't take you into custody unless they have a good reason; they can't imprison you for no good reason, certainly not for an extended period of time. But as the narrator, Jeanne, explains, all these rights fell by the wayside when government officials (hastily deputized) took Jeanne's father into custody although he had done nothing wrong. He was only "guilty" of owning a boat-based business, and the US government was especially suspicious of him, imagining that he could use his equipment to communicate with enemy ships.

So, Jeanne's father is taken away for an entire year, creating a terrible upheaval in the family. If this situation happened to a US citizen, there would be an outcry about that citizen's rights: we have a right to a lawyer, a right to a speedy trial, a right to be protected from false imprisonment. But as Jeanne explains, her father was suddenly "a man with no rights."

What's the roadblock of retrieved reformation?

Jimmy's past catches up with him. He may have fallen in love and decided to reform. He may have saved the life of a little girl who was accidentally locked inside the bank vault. He may have become a successful small-town businessman and a solid citizen. But he is still haunted by his criminal past. This is the major theme of O. Henry's story. Ben Price is on Jimmy's trail because of the three bank jobs Jimmy committed after being pardoned and released from prison. We cannot wish our past sins away. Jimmy is stuck with his record and his reputation, just as he is stuck with that incriminating suitcase full of his one-of-a-kind safecracking tools. 

Many criminals find it difficult to "go straight." They become "career criminals" or so-called "recidivists." Jimmy is on his way to becoming a recidivist at the end of "A Retrieved Reformation" when Ben Price, who has observed Jimmy's noble sacrifice of all he had gained by reforming, gives him a sort of blessing and forgiveness in the surprise ending.

“Hello, Ben!” said Jimmy, still with his strange smile. “Got around at last, have you? Well, let's go. I don't know that it makes much difference, now.”

And then Ben Price acted rather strangely.

“Guess you're mistaken, Mr. Spencer,” he said. “Don't believe I recognize you. Your buggy's waiting for you, ain't it?”

This sort of thing is the exception rather than the rule. In O. Henry's story "The Cop and the Anthem," the character called Soapy decides to reform because of hearing a familiar church anthem after a series of failures to get himself arrested and sent to Riker's Island.

He would pull himself out of the mire; he would make a man of himself again; he would conquer the evil that had taken possession of him. There was time; he was comparatively young yet; he would resurrect his old eager ambitions and pursue them without faltering. Those solemn but sweet organ notes had set up a revolution in him....He would be somebody in the world. He would—

Soapy felt a hand laid on his arm. He looked quickly around into the broad face of a policeman.

“What are you doin' here?” asked the officer.

“Nothin',” said Soapy.

“Then come along,” said the policeman.

Before he became a popular writer, O. Henry served three years in a state prison for embezzlement. He never got over the experience. He wrote under an assumed name and lived in fear of having it become widely known that he was an ex-felon. He had seen a lot and learned a lot during his years in a tough state prison. He had seen men go out and come back in. They couldn't make it in the outside world because of their records. How could they explain to a potential employer what they had been doing during those missing years? They had developed bad records, bad reputations, bad habits, bad friends, antisocial attitudes. O. Henry himself had become an alcoholic who was reputed to drink two quarts of whiskey a day. Naturally he died at an early age. He was only forty-seven.

The "roadblock" to retrieved reformation in Jimmy Valentine's case was his criminal record. It is symbolized in the story by the big suitcase full of specially designed safecracking tools. As soon as Jimmy gets back to his room after his release from prison, he retrieves that suitcase from its hiding place. It is mentioned numerous times throughout the story. He has it with him when he goes into his fiancee's father's bank. It has now become a burden he would like to get rid of forever. But, ironically, it helps him save the little girl and at the same time exposes him as a master safecracker wanted by the law. It is only by a near miracle that Jimmy is able to retrieve his reformation.

Why does a bill have to go through many steps before it is voted on?

In order for a bill to become a law, it must pass through many steps. There are a few reasons for this. One reason is that we want to be sure the bill and its effects are thoroughly considered. By having a committee study a bill and then make recommendations, this helps to consider what impacts the bill will have. Even by doing this thorough review, there may still be unintended consequences.

We also want more than one branch of government involved in the lawmaking process. By allowing the president to veto laws, this acts as a brake on the powers of Congress. Without veto power, Congress could pass any law it wanted to pass. Congress now needs to consider the views of the president before passing a bill. Additionally, by having the courts review the laws, it requires Congress to try to make sure the bill would be legal under the Constitution. This is another limit on the powers of Congress. While judicial review is not a step in the lawmaking process, it does factor into the thinking that goes into proposing a bill.

There are many steps involved in passing a bill. This is done to make sure the bill is well written, is legal, and considers the effects the bill will produce.

What details suggest that Jimmy has really changed?

O. Henry suggests that Jimmy undergoes a sudden transformation when he first sees Annabel Adams.

A young lady crossed the street, passed him at the corner and entered a door over which was the sign “The Elmore Bank.” Jimmy Valentine looked into her eyes, forgot what he was, and became another man. 

Is this possible? There must have been other factors leading up to Jimmy's transformation. No doubt he was beginning to realize that his success as a safecracker was making him so notorious that it would lead to his undoing. The ten months he recently served in prison for "that Springfield job" gave him plenty of time to reflect. This story is mainly about the transforming power of love, and the moral is "Crime does not pay," or "Honesty is the best policy." His change begins with Annabel and is a conspicuous fact throughout the story. He cannot remain a criminal and hope to win such an angelic girl. She is a symbol of honesty and respectability. She loves him and only sees what is good in him. He wants to be deserving of her.

Another detail suggesting that Jimmy has really changed is his decision to get rid of his suitcase full of custom-designed safecracking tools. He is burning his bridges behind him. He decides to give the tools to an old pal and writes in his letter to him:

Say, Billy, I've quit the old business—a year ago. I've got a nice store. I'm making an honest living, and I'm going to marry the finest girl on earth two weeks from now. It's the only life, Billy—the straight one. I wouldn't touch a dollar of another man's money now for a million. 

A third sign that Jimmy has really changed is his sacrifice of everything--his business, his reputation as a respectable citizen, his fiancee, and his freedom--in order to save a little girl who has accidentally gotten locked inside a supposedly burglar-proof bank vault. It is ironic that Jimmy uses his expertise and specialized tools for a good purpose rather than a criminal one. This noble sacrifice is proof of his love for Annabel and proof of his reformation. Although he thinks he has sacrificed everything by breaking into the bank vault in front of a number of astonished witnesses, it puts the seal on his reformation. Ben Price, a tough, case-hardened lawman, sees what Jimmy does and allows him to retain his new identity as Ralph Spencer, an honest businessman and pillar of the community.

“Guess you're mistaken, Mr. Spencer,” he said. “Don't believe I recognize you. Your buggy's waiting for you, ain't it?”

I am writing a final essay about Germany and need some details on the following question: There is strong evidence that Germany has a stable,...

Germany has existed as a democratic republic for over 60 years. The country is considered a democratic and social federalist state according to the nation’s constitution. The country’s stability is guaranteed because of the separation of powers (between the legislature, executive and judiciary) and a multiparty system of politics, which are enshrined in the country’s constitution. Germany also has experience of political, social and economic turmoil, and the country has been able to draw lessons and apply policies that would prevent a return to past conditions.

The state authority is also dedicated to the protection of the citizens’ human rights and freedoms. Some of the rights and freedoms include the freedom of opinion, freedom of the press, freedom of information, equality before the law and the freedom of association. The state does not operate unrestricted and is held accountable to judicial controls as established under the country’s constitution. Germany also takes care of her citizens by ensuring essential services are provided, to guarantee a decent standard of living among the population.

A stable democratic polity would not exist without a strong economy. Inflation during the Weimar Republic made Hitler’s policies appealing regardless of the imminent threat to democracy presented by his regime. After the destruction under Hitler’s authority, Germany embarked on strengthening her economy and building a strong central bank to what it is today and, as noted by Jaques Delors, “not all Germans believe in God but they all believe in the Bundesbank.” The push for a strong economy was in line with the country’s shift to foster a stability culture.

Germany’s past experience, its regard for human rights and the rule of law, and the strengthening of the nation’s economy attest to its ability to remain stable. The stability established is essential in ensuring that the nation’s environment is not compatible with an authoritarian regime.

What is the conflict between Margot and her classmates in "All Summer in a Day?"

Margot, the young protagonist in “All Summer in a Day,” has seen the sun shine, something her other young classmates have never seen.  The sun only comes out on Venus once every seven years, and it rains continuously on Venus.  Margot lived on Earth before moving to Venus and saw the sun every day.  Although young, she describes the sun to her classmates and says it looks like a penny and feels like a hot fire in a stove.  The other children at her school don’t believe her and lock her up in a closet.  When the sun comes out, the children all run outside, leaving Margot behind.  After the sun leaves and the incessant rain starts again, the children remember Margot is locked up.  Margot is heartbroken by the cruel treatment of the other children and for having to wait seven years to see the sun again.  Luckily for Margot, her parents may be moving back to Earth where she can once again see the sun every day.

The main conflict in the story is between Margot and her cruel classmates who are jealous of her experiences with the sun.  

Does a heavier object fall faster than a lighter object?

Key concepts
Physics
Free fall
Forces
Gravity
Mass
Inertia

Introduction
Have you ever wondered how fast a heavy object falls compared with a lighter one? Imagine if you dropped both of them at the same time. Which would hit the ground first? Would it be the heavier one because it weighs more? Or would they hit the ground at the same time? In the late 1500s in Italy the famous scientist Galileo was asking some of these same questions. And he did some experiments to answer them. In this activity you'll do some of your own tests to determine whether heavier objects fall faster than lighter ones.

Background
In fourth-century B.C. Greece the philosopher Aristotle theorized that the speed at which an object falls is probably relative to its mass. In other words, if two objects are the same size but one is heavier, the heavier one has greater density than the lighter object. Therefore, when both objects are dropped from the same height and at the same time, the heavier object should hit the ground before the lighter one. Is this true?

Some 1,800 years later, in late 16th-century Italy, the young scientist and mathematician Galileo Galilei questioned Aristotle's theories of falling objects. He even performed several experiments to test Aristotle's theories. As legend has it, in 1589 Galileo stood on a balcony near the top of the Tower of Pisa and dropped two balls that were the same size but had different densities. Although there is debate about whether this actually happened, the story emphasizes the importance of using experimentation to test scientific theories, even ones that had been accepted for nearly 2,000 years.

Materials
• Two balls of the same size, but different mass. For example, you could use a metal and a rubber ball or a wooden and a plastic ball, as long as the two balls are about the same size. If two spherical balls like this are unavailable, you could try something like an apple and a similar-size round rock.
• A ladder or step stool 
• A video camera and a helper (optional)

Preparation
• You will be dropping the two balls from the same height, at the same time. Set up the ladder or step stool where you will do your test. If you are using a heavy ball, be sure to find a testing area where the ball will not hurt the floor or ground when it lands.
• If you are using a video camera to record the experiment, set up the camera now and have your helper get ready to record.
• Be careful when using the step stool or ladder.

Procedure
• Carefully climb the ladder or step stool with the two balls.
• Drop both balls at the same time, from the same height. If you are using a video camera, be sure to have your helper record the balls falling and hitting the ground.
• Did one ball hit the ground before the other or did both balls hit the ground at the same time?
• Repeat the experiment at least two more times. Are your results consistent? Did one ball consistently hit the ground before the other or did both balls always hit the ground at the same time?
• If you videotaped your experiments, you can watch the recordings to verify your results.
• Can you explain your results?
• Extra: Try this experiment again but this time use balls that have the same mass but are different sizes. Does one ball hit the ground before the other or do they hit it at the same time?
• Extra: Try testing two objects that have the same mass, but are different shapes. For example, you could try a large feather and a very small ball.Does one object hit the ground before the other or do they hit it at the same time?
• Extra: You could try this experiment again but record it using a camera that lets you play back the recording in slow motion. If you watch the balls falling in slow motion, what do you notice about how they are falling over time? Are both objects always falling at the same speed or is one falling faster than the other at certain points in time?

Observations and results
Did both balls hit the ground at the same time?

You should have found that both balls hit the ground at roughly the same time. According to legend, this is what Galileo showed in 1589 from his Tower of Pisa experiment but, again, it's debated whether this actually happened. If you neglect air resistance, objects falling near Earth’s surface fall with the same approximate acceleration 9.8 meters per second squared (9.8 m/s2, or g) due to Earth's gravity. So the acceleration is the same for the objects, and consequently their velocity is also increasing at a constant rate. Because the downward force on an object is equal to its mass multiplied by g, heavier objects have a greater downward force. Heavier objects, however, also have more inertia, which means they resist moving more than lighter objects do, and so heaver objects need more force to get them going at the same rate.

Some images are still being reviewed.

`(7pi)/12 = pi/3 + pi/4` Find the exact values of the sine, cosine, and tangent of the angle.

You need to evaluate the sine of `(7pi)/12` , using the formula `sin(a+b) = sin a*cos b + sin b*cos a` such that:

`sin ((7pi)/12)= sin(pi/3 + pi/4) = sin (pi/3)*cos (pi/4) + sin (pi/4)*cos (pi/3)`

`sin ((7pi)/12)=(sqrt3)/2*(sqrt2)/2 + (sqrt2)/2*1/2`

`sin ((7pi)/12) = (sqrt2)/2*(sqrt3 + 1)/2`

You need to evaluate the cosine of `(7pi)/12` , using the formula `cos(a+b) = cos a*cos b - sin b*sin a` such that:

`cos ((7pi)/12) = cos (pi/3 + pi/4) = cos (pi/3)*cos (pi/4)- sin ( pi/4)*sin (pi/3)`

`cos ((7pi)/12)= 1/2*(sqrt2)/2 - (sqrt2)/2*(sqrt3)/2`

`cos((7pi)/12) = (sqrt2)/2*(1 - sqrt3)/2`

You need to evaluate the tangent of `(7pi)/12` , such that:

`tan ((7pi)/12) = (sin((7pi)/12))/(cos ((7pi)/12))`

`tan ((7pi)/12) = ((sqrt2)/2*(sqrt3 + 1)/2)/((sqrt2)/2*(1 - sqrt3)/2)`

`tan((7pi)/12) = (sqrt3 + 1)/(1 - sqrt3)`

`tan((7pi)/12) = ((sqrt3 + 1)*(1 + sqrt3))/(1 - 3)`

`tan((7pi)/12)) = -((sqrt3 + 1)^2)/2`

Hence, evaluating the sine, cosine and tangent of `tan(7pi)/12` , yields `sin((7pi)/12 ) = (sqrt2)/2*(sqrt3 + 1)/2, cos ( (7pi)/12 ) = (sqrt2)/2*(1 - sqrt3)/2, tan (7pi)/12 = -((sqrt3 + 1)^2)/2.`

With examples, explain how values influence our behavior.

I will stick with one value for this explanation.  Take the value of individualism.  It's a prevalent value in American society.  Why it is valued could be argued a lot of different ways, but it can't be argued that it isn't important to Americans.  It has been important for a long time too.  For example, the first ten amendments to the Constitution are all geared toward giving and protecting the rights of individuals.  

Plenty of modern day advertisements further deepen that value set.  Sprite tells you to "obey your thirst."  Burger King says to "have it your way."  Corona tells consumers to "find your beach."  The emphasis is on an individual person doing and pursuing what is right for him/her and not what is good for the group whole.  That's precisely why you can so frequently hear people say things like, "well that's okay for you, but I'm going to do/choose this for me."  By having individualism as a deeply seated value, it causes people to think of themselves first and others later.  

Who were the three Magi?

The three Magi were three kings from the Biblical telling of the birth of Jesus.  These kings brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the baby Jesus.  The title The Gift of the Magi comes from these Biblical kings who came bearing gifts.  In the O. Henry story, Della sells her long hair to buy a watch chain for her husband, Jim.  Jim sells his watch to buy combs for Della.  The story centers around their sacrifices and the gifts that they purchased.  At the end of the story, O. Henry writes that the three Magi invented the art of gift giving at Christmastime.  He also states that Jim and Della were the wisest of all.  He adds that all those "who give and receive gifts" are wise because "they are the magi."

What is the difference between the Giver and Jonas, other than age and experience, in The Giver?

Jonas and the Giver are different because The Giver understands what is really happening in the community and Jonas does not.

Jonas and The Giver both have the Capacity to See Beyond, which means that they have the special ability to see and experience the community’s memories.  This is a unique trait that very few members of the community have.  They are also alike in many other ways.  Both are sensitive, compassionate, and empathetic.

The main difference between Jonas and The Giver is that Jonas still believes that his community is perfect.  He has bought the community’s publicity, so to speak.  When he begins his training, he is only twelve years old.

The Giver first has to explain to Jonas that the community is storing memories in the Receiver of Memory.  This is a new concept to Jonas.  It means that things are not exactly what they seem.

"There's much more. There's all that goes beyond--all that is Elsewhere--and all that goes back, and back, and back. I received all of those, when I was selected. And here in this room, all alone, I re-experience them again and again. It is how wisdom comes. And how we shape our future." (Ch. 10)

Jonas had no idea that his community was killing people regularly in order to keep complete control.  He did not know that release meant death.  Jonas’s community also kept other things from its members.  No one is aware that there once was a past, or that humans can experience emotions.

An example of Jonas’s ignorance and acceptance of the status quo is demonstrated in the conversation he has with The Giver over choices.  In the community there are no choices.  All choices are made by the community.  Jonas does not believe that people should be allowed to choose.

"Definitely not safe," Jonas said with certainty. "What if they were allowed to choose their own mate? And chose wrong?

"Or what if," he went on, almost laughing at the absurdity, "they chose their own jobs?" (Ch. 13)

When Jonas learns what release means, he is horrified.  His bubble has burst.  He can’t believe that his community would do such a thing.  The Giver explains to him that they know nothing.  They are doing what they are told, and what they are used to.  

By the end of the book, Jonas and The Giver are a lot more alike than they are different.  This is because Jonas grows up a lot during the book.  He goes from being a naive and inexperienced child to a young man who understands the reality of human nature in ways he did not think possible.

Which powers are granted to Congress by the Constitution?

In Article I of the Constitution are listed the powers granted to Congress.  Generally, Congress is empowered to create all legislation for the United States. This is stated in the first section of the article.  The subject matters of this legislation, what are often called the enumerated powers, are listed in Section 8 and in various amendments, and these cover a broad range.

Congress can legislate to impose taxes, provide for the payment of debt and for incurring debt, and for payment for the defense of the country. It may legislate on any matter affecting interstate commerce and on commerce with native Americans and other countries. It is the sole body that can create bankruptcy law.  It is responsible for legislation on immigration and naturalization.  It is responsible for coining money, that is to say, for its production and value, as well as for what punishments ensue for counterfeiting American money. The postal system is a creature of Congress, which established its enabling legislation and continues to control it to this day.  Patent and copyright law are the responsibility of Congress.  While the Constitution establishes the Supreme Court of the United States, all other lower courts are established by Congress through legislation. This includes the federal district and circuit courts.  Congress legislates to establish maritime law, which is the law of the sea. Its military powers are broad, to declare war, to create military entities and to fund then, and to create the rules that govern those military entities. An army and navy are mentioned specifically, but of course, there was no air force when the Constitution was created. Also part of this group of powers is the power to create and call forth the state militias, which we now refer to as the National Guard.  Congress also has complete legislative authority over Washington, D.C., which is not a state at all, but the center of federal government. Additionally, each time an amendment has been passed that required some legislative authority, included within the amendment is the granting of power to Congress to enforce that amendment through legislation. 

Any power that is not enumerated in the Constitution and its amendments is a power that falls to the states. This is why most criminal law, family law, and negligence law, to name a few examples, are created by state legislatures, and why there is variability in these areas from one state to another.

What can we infer about Ponyboy's character in The Outsiders?

Ponyboy Curtis is the main focus and narrator of the book The Outsiders. He is the youngest of the three Curtis brothers, and also the youngest of the greaser gang. Very early in the novel Ponyboy describes himself by saying, "I make good grades and have a high IQ and everything, but I don't use my head" (Hinton 4). This tells the reader that while Ponyboy may lack common sense in some situations, he is very intelligent, something not common to the other greasers.

At the beginning of chapter 3, Ponyboy shares the story of his brother, Sodapop, losing his horse, Mickey Mouse, with a Soc girl he meets at the movies, Cherry Valance. During this dialogue, Cherry also shares her secrets about disliking Soc society, and says to Ponyboy, "You're the first person I've ever really gotten through to" (Hinton 38). Later, the pair discuss how they both like viewing the sunset from their respective sides of town. From this interaction, the reader can infer that Ponyboy is both sensitive and understanding, traits which he sometimes tries to hide from society. Later in the chapter, we also see Ponyboy has a dreamy side when he's hanging out in the lot with Johnny. While lying there, he talks about his ideal life in the country, which in Johnny's words has "just people. Plain ordinary people" (Hinton 48). In this vision, Sodapop gets Micky Mouse, his horse, back; Darry, his oldest brother, loses his hard edge so he can "be like he used to" (Hinton 48); and the boys' parents are alive again.

From all of this, the reader can infer that Ponyboy is sensitive and dreamy, while aspiring to be more than simply a greaser and hood his entire life.

In Seedfolks, what does Sam have to do with the story?

The narrator of Chapter 6 in Seedfolks, Sam, is an activist who has spent his entire life helping people and fighting for peace.  Now that Sam is older, he focuses his efforts on the small garden in Cleveland in hopes of continuing his work of bringing people together. Sam hires a teenager to help him plant his garden and even gives the teenager a small plot of land to grow pumpkins.  However, Sam also sees that the garden has problems.  There’s still trash everywhere, and water is a problem. Sam devises a plan to have the kids working in the garden think up ideas like collecting rain in barrels to water the garden.  The biggest problem Sam sees is that the garden is still somewhat segregated where each ethnic group has staked claims to different parts of the garden.  Some of the gardeners have even put up fences to keep people out of their rows of crops. 

Sam is a problem-solver, and his purpose in the story is to be the moral barometer for the group of people using the vacant lot. Sam seeks to resolve problems and make everyone aware of the wonderful community they are forming together. Sam describes his purpose in the garden when he says, “You've seen fishermen mending the rips in their nets. That's what I do, only with people.” 

How can hubris cause a person's demise?

So an important aspect of this question is not the fact that an arrogant person fails, but that the hubris itself leads to their demise. 

Many writers and philosophers have examined this subject at length; one of the most iconic examples is Odysseus' interactions with the Cyclops in The Odyssey by Homer. When Odysseus and his men have blinded the Cyclops and managed to escape from his cave, where he had been eating them alive, Odysseys recklessly reveals his identity to the monster, shouting back to shore that the Cyclops should tell the world that he has been defeated by the great warrior Odysseus. Nothing other than hubris leads to this declaration, which in turn directly leads to the demise of Odysseus' crew. As it turns out, the Cyclops' father is Poseidon, god of the sea, who sends horrific storms to plague Odysseus, destroying his ship and delaying his return home. In this example, it is clear that Odysseus' hubris leads to his crew's demise, and nearly to his own. 

Essentially, Homer's lesson is that all actions have consequences; an act of hubris, with no purpose other than self-aggrandizement, tends to have a negative effect, for the speaker has thought of no effect beyond pride. 

In the epilogue of Invisible Man, why does the narrator say that "reality is as irresistible as a club"?

The narrator of Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man characterizes reality this way because of the brutality that he has experienced as a young, black man living in a racially stratified America. Ellison’s description of the harsh realities of racial discrimination in America is especially compelling because it reinforces all the moments of violence and brutality that occur earlier in the novel. Indeed, the narrator’s life is punctuated by intense moments of racially motivated violence, and this is partly why he considers reality a forceful, blunt instrument:

“I'm an invisible man and it placed me in a hole-- or showed me the hole I was in, if you will-- and I reluctantly accepted the fact. What else could I have done? Once you get used to it, reality is as irresistible as a club, and I was clubbed into the cellar before I caught the hint. Perhaps that's the way that it had to be; I don't know” (572).

Ellison is saying that the present realities of being black in America are inescapable, and are every bit as harsh as being beaten with a club. The narrator begins the novel with a false sense of where he stands in society, and reality has effectively battered him back into his designated space; he cannot rise above this narrow reality, and he eventually accepts this.

I am currently studying The Great Gatsby in class and am in need of a related text/material. I would like it to have overlapping themes of economic...

I think that Fitzgerald's short story, "Winter Dreams," and John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men might be related texts to investigate.

F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote "Winter Dreams" in 1922.  Three years before The Great Gatsby  was published, Fitzgerald explored the themes of economic and social power through the eyes of Dexter, a caddy turned business success, and Judy Jones, the source of his "winter dreams."  Judy operates like Daisy and Dexter possesses many of the same traits of Gatsby.  Economic privilege and social power plays a significant role in their relationship.  The short story is powerful in how it delves into "glittering things" and the contours of human happiness. It might be interesting to see how "Winter Dreams" operated as an early draft for the ideas explored in The Great Gatsby.  The story's ending is not as forceful as what we see happen to Gatsby, but it is as tragic in how Fitzgerald suggests that the common denominator between all people is the propensity for unhappy lives.

Unhappiness as a result of economic and social power is a significant part of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men.  Unlike the opulence of Gatsby's world, Steinbeck sets his story amidst the backdrop of migrant workers who toil for very little in 1930s California.  Like Fitzgerald, Steinbeck plays with the dynamic of idealism and realism, with a harsh emphasis on how the latter impacts the former.  The main characters, George and Lennie, are as driven by their dream as Gatsby was by his.  In both works, the ability to dream is set against the reality of economic and social power.  The ways that Steinbeck and Fitzgerald navigate this dynamic might prove very interesting to compare and contrast.

How does Aunt Alexandra change in Chapter 24 of To Kill A Mockingbird?

Aunt Alexandra is sympathetic about Tom's death and treats Scout with compassion.

Aunt Alexandra has clearly been affected by her time at the Finches’ house.  She seems to be softening somewhat.  For example, the day of the party she lets Calpurnia serve.  She also seems sympathetic to Scout, having her join the ladies only for refreshments because she thinks Scout would be bored.

Aunt Alexandra has always had an interest in Scout’s upbringing.  She feels that Scout should wear dresses and not climb trees.  The missionary meeting is part of this process.  She is happy to see Scout, who has succeeded in not spilling the coffee pot.

My journey was successful: Aunt Alexandra smiled brilliantly. “Stay with us, Jean Louise,” she said. This was a part of her campaign to teach me to be a lady. (Ch. 24)

While Alexandra seemed to be extremely bigoted, going by her comments about Atticus, she appears to have changed when the conversation at the missionary circle gets heated.  Mrs. Merriweather and Mrs. Farrow talk about how to treat black folks in an incredibly condescending manner.  Miss Maudie makes it known that she does not agree, and Alexandra sides with Miss Maudie.

She gave Miss Maudie a look of pure gratitude, and I wondered at the world of women. Miss Maudie and Aunt Alexandra had never been especially close, and here was Aunty silently thanking her for something. (Ch. 24)

Scout is baffled by this conversation.  To her, Miss Maudie and Aunt Alexandra are opposites.  However, Alexandra desires to be supportive of her brother.  She is “alarmed” when Atticus comes in and tells Calpurnia that Tom Robinson is dead.  He is Atticus’s client, after all, even if he is black.  She clearly demonstrates sympathy for Tom when she learns that he was shot at the prison.

“Didn’t they try to stop him? Didn’t they give him any warning?” Aunt Alexandra’s voice shook. (Ch. 24)

Alexandra tells Atticus that Tom’s death is “the last straw.”  Clearly to her, shooting Tom Robinson was wrong.  However Alexandra felt about Atticus defending a black man before, she has reversed her attitude.  She cares about her brother, and does not want to see him hurt.  She also seems to care what happens to Tom Robinson as a human being, not a black man.

Miss Maudie helps Aunt Alexandra and Scout keep it together, and they return to the room full of ladies.  Alexandra actually smiles at Scout, being supportive.  Scout admires her ability to “be a lady” despite all that is happening.  The two have finally come to an understanding.

In this chapter, we see a different side of Aunt Alexandra.  The view presented by Francis at Christmastime is not flattering.  Scout also feels suffocated by her aunt’s attentions.  Yet in this chapter it becomes clear that Alexandra really does care about her brother.  She is not as bigoted as we once thought.  Apparently Alexandra has the capacity for change, and for empathy.