How does your impression of Mrs. Dubose change as Chapter 11 progresses?

At the beginning of Chapter 11, Mrs. Dubose is depicted as a mean, racist, old woman who yells derogatory comments at Jem and Scout as they walk past her house. She says to Jem, "Your father's no better than the niggers and trash he works for!" (Lee 135) This comment gets under Jem's skin, and as he is walking back from the store with Scout, he takes Scout's new baton and destroys the camellia bush in her front yard. Atticus punishes Jem and makes him read to Mrs. Dubose for two hours every afternoon, including Saturdays, for an entire month. Atticus explains to Jem that she is old and ill and that he shouldn't hold her responsible for things she says and does. When Jem reads to Mrs. Dubose, she is continually correcting him and making derogatory comments towards him. Jem ignores her negative comments, and he begins to notice that the longer he reads, the less she corrects him, and eventually she has a "fit." When the alarm rings, her housekeeper Jessie says it's time for her medicine.

Towards the end of the chapter, Mrs. Dubose passes away. Before she dies, she tells Jessie to give a gift to Jem. Atticus gives the gift to Jem, and it is a candy-box with a white camellia in perfect condition inside. Atticus explains to Jem that it was a gift of appreciation and is her way of saying "everything's all right now" (Lee 149). Jem learns that Mrs. Dubose suffered from a terminal illness and became addicted to morphine to ease her pain. When Mrs. Dubose approached Atticus about writing her will, she told him that she wanted to "leave this world beholden nothing to nobody" (Lee 148). Jem finds out that his reading kept her occupied in between her doses of morphine, and as his reading sessions were lengthened, the longer she went between doses. Eventually, Mrs. Dubose was able to break her morphine addiction. Atticus comments that she was the bravest person he ever knew. The audience goes from viewing Mrs. Dubose with contempt because she is an ornery racist, to admiring her for her courage and strong will.

Why is Sydney Carton's presence at the court of great importance?

The presence of Sydney Carton at the trial of Charles Darnay is important, not from a “legal” standpoint, but to set up the physical resemblance between the two characters as significant. Darnay is released when Carton points out to Stryver that he and the prisoner look alike, thus throwing the possibility of doubt on Barsad’s testimony that he recognized Darnay. This becomes extremely important at the end, when Carton switches places with Darnay in prison, taking his place at the guillotine. Without the similarity that the two have, this ruse would be unlikely to succeed. Thus Carton can fulfill his promise to Lucie that he would do anything to save her or anyone she loved. As the book begins, so it ends: Carton manages to save Darnay’s life, but this time by sacrificing his own. Carton becomes an important part of Charles and Lucie’s life even more after his death.

Who does the speaker say sent the raven? Why, according to the speaker, was he sent?

In the poem "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe, the narrator gets an unexpected visit from a raven. Surprisingly, the raven can speak, but the only word it seems capable of uttering is "Nevermore." The speaker makes a few attempts to explain the origin of his visitor. First, he surmises that the bird has learned to speak its word from its master who suffered serial disappointments. The narrator then begins thinking about his lost Lenore. He imagines he smells something and hears footsteps. He exclaims that God is sending him a forgetting potion--nepenthe--that will make him forget Lenore. He speaks that aloud, and the raven replies, "Nevermore!"

At this the narrator becomes angry at the bird and suggests that it may be a visitor sent from the devil. This is what he means when he says, "Whether Tempter sent." He believes the bird to be a prophet, thing of evil, bird, or devil--some agent sent by Satan to cause him further torment. Alternately, he suggests the raven may have arrived simply because the "tempest tossed thee here ashore." This possible explanation for the bird's origin gives the narrator hope to ask it another question, to which he does not receive the desired answer.

Though the narrator does not say specifically why the bird was sent, if it was, the word "Tempter" indicates a desire to bring emotional harm and to cause the man to make bad choices. If the bird is a "prophet," it comes with a message. If sent by God, the message would be true, but if sent by the devil, the message would be a lie. In the penultimate stanza the narrator accuses the bird of having lied, so by that time he seems to believe that the bird has been sent by the devil to cause him further emotional pain. 

Where had the stone and mortar used by Montresor to wall up the entrance to the niche been hidden?

It was not actually necessary for Montresor to hide the stones or the mortar, since he was the only one who ever came down there. If Fortunato were to notice them he would think nothing of them, only that some repair work was being done. But Fortunato doesn't even notice them. The building stones and the trough of mortar had been covered with human bones, mainly to keep the mortar moist. Water continually drips down onto the bones and seeps into the mortar. Montresor had to have it already mixed, but he didn't know when he was going to be able to use it. Poe wanted to have the stones and damp mortar readily available because he wanted to make the wall-building as quick and easy as possible. Evidently he does not leave his trowel with the building materials because it would quickly rust in that environment. This is not dramatic, and Poe wanted to keep his story dramatic. Poe also specified that the niche in which Montresor chained Fortunato was very narrow. This, of course, made it easier to build the stone wall. Here is how Montresor describes the materials:

As I said these words I busied myself among the pile of bones of which I have before spoken. Throwing them aside, I soon uncovered a quantity of building stone and mortar. With these materials and with the aid of my trowel, I began vigorously to wall up the entrance of the niche.

Notice how he says the word "vigorously" in order to show that the wall is going to be constructed very quickly. 

And here is how Montresor describes the crypt or recess:

Within the wall thus exposed by the displacing of the bones, we perceived a still interior crypt or recess, in depth about four feet, in width three, in height six or seven. It seemed to have been constructed for no especial use within itself, but formed merely the interval between two of the colossal supports of the roof of the catacombs, and was backed by one of their circumscribing walls of solid granite.

Note that the recess had to be at least four feet deep. Fortunato would be chained tightly against the rock wall. He could only reach out three feet in front of him, so he could not interfere with the building of the wall, and he could not try to knock it down after Montresor left him alone and the mortar was still wet.

Montresor is using stones rather than bricks because he wants the wall to have a rougher appearance after he plasters the whole outside of it with the same mortar he uses for building the wall. Fortunato is confined within a very narrow recess. It is only about three feet wide. We can assume that Montresor's experience in wall-building is limited. He only has to build a wall three feet wide and six or seven feet tall, and it will be supported on both sides by the sides of the recess. That is an area of around twenty square feet. If the stones are roughly a foot square, that means he only has to lay something like twenty stones. Poe is such a smooth writer that he makes the wall seem to go up in minutes.

Who were patricians and plebeians?

The terms patricians and plebeians refer to the socio-political structure of Ancient Rome. The patricians were the aristocracy of Rome. They ranked just below the emperor and his family. Patricians were the political, religious, and military leaders of Rome. You had to be born into the patrician class unless your family was specifically appointed by the emperor under special circumstances. The patricians were the landowners of Rome. They lived the life of luxury with large homes and lavish meals. The word patrician has the root word patres, which meant father in Latin. The patricians were viewed as the fathers of Rome.

The plebeians were the lower class people of Rome. The plebs, as they were called, had very little individual power, but could wield great influence when grouped together. This is because the plebeians greatly outnumbered the patrician class. Plebeians worked hard as farmers, craftsman, or in shops. They struggled to provide for their family. The administrators would provide them with food during difficult economic times in order to prevent insurgency.

In "Life of Pi" what does Pi do to survive mentally?

In The Life of Pi, it is insinuated that Pi creates an animal-based metaphor to cope with both the violence he witnesses and then his own solitude. 

At the very end of the book/film, author Yann Martel carefully draws connections between the personalities of the other people on the ship and raft and the animals that Pi was initially traveling with. Then, Pi introduces the reader to the possibility that there were never animals on the raft; they were always people. However, thinking about them as animals made it easier for Pi to accept the beastly grievances they cause to one another. 

On a related note, this would mean that there was never a tiger on the raft with Pi, and the animal that Pi was so afraid of but forced to coexist with was actually a part of his own mind and self. Imagining this part of himself, driven by instinct and aggression, as another being entirely made it easier to combat and alienate from the rest of his mind, which used rationality and hope to survive. 

How did the Medieval church contribute to the economic structure of Europe?

The church collected tithes, or money representing one tenth of income, from each Christian person, from peasants up to lords. Tithes could be paid in goods or money, and many peasants provided the church with animals, seeds, or crops that were stored in tithe barns. Even though many people struggled to pay tithes, they believed failure to do so would cause them to be sent to hell. Some peasants worked for free on lands owned by the church. Churches also collected fees for conducting rites such as baptisms and burials. 

By collecting so much money, the church became an economic power and controlled a great deal of land. They played a major role as landowners and landlords in medieval Europe. Many people willed lands to the church, and they collected large holdings and built magnificent structures such as cathedrals that reflected their wealth. In addition, churches did not have to pay taxes, leading to their increased wealth. Finally, many churches in Medieval Europe played a role in establishing borough rights, which were given by the king to enable that town to trade and have guilds. 

Why is Daniel let down by the robberies that take place based on Joel's information?

In Chapter 16, Rosh gives Joel the directive to find out the names of the guests who will be attending Mattathias' banquet. Joel ends up selling baskets of fish to the servants for the banquet and listens to their conversations regarding who will be in attendance. At the beginning of Chapter 17, Daniel learns that Rosh and his men robbed the five wealthiest families in Galilee while they were at Mattathias' banquet. The villagers begin to complain that Rosh has gone too far and that they will never see one penny of the money Rosh stole. Daniel mentions that at first his spirit soared when he found out about the robberies, but by the end of the day, Daniel felt dull and let down. Daniel felt that Joel's information should have gone to a nobler, more worthy cause instead of looting rich men's houses. Daniel begins to wonder if it was worth Joel missing hours from his study to embark on such a dangerous mission.

What is the difference between fat and oil?

Fats and oils have the similar chemical structure: both are esters of glycerol and chemically known as triacylglycerols. Fats and oils do not mix in water and are hydrophobic by nature. Fats and oils act as energy reservoirs of the body. The difference is that fats are generally solid at room temperature, while oils are liquid at room temperature. Fats have higher melting points than oils. Fats are saturated with all the carbon atoms bonded to hydrogen atoms and lack the capacity to add any more hydrogen atoms. On the other hand, oils are unsaturated and can add more hydrogen atoms to carbon atoms. Fats are generally derived from animals, while oils are (generally) obtained from plants (such as, olive oil, mustard oil, etc.).

Hope this helps. 

In The Crucible, what does Mary Warren's deposition say?

Mary Warren's deposition states, as John Proctor tells Danforth, that she never saw any spirits.  Further, Mary tells Danforth herself, that when the girls claimed to see spirits, "It were pretense [...]."  In other words, she was only pretending to see spirits.  She claims, in fact, that all the girls are pretending to see spirits, that they are lying to the court.  Mary is terribly frightened and cannot even speak at first because, by confessing to lying about seeing spirits and the like, she is essentially charging all of her friends -- the other girls -- with murder.  We know that the deposition is fairly detailed and honest because, as Proctor hands it to Danforth, he says,

I would ask you to remember, sir, while you read it, that until two week ago she were no different than the other children are today [....].  You saw her scream, she howled, she swore familiar spirits choked her; she even testified that Satan, in the form of women now in jail, tried to win her soul away [...].

Therefore, it must differ dramatically from what Mary Warren has previously said, from what all the other girls continue to say, or else Proctor would not attempt to warn Danforth about the immense discrepancy between what he saw of Mary a couple weeks ago versus who she claims to be now.

Does the real message of "A Modest Proposal" come across clearly or could Swift's use of irony confuse readers into mistaking the satire for a...

It is hard to know how every individual will respond to "A Modest Proposal," but it seems very unlikely that many people in Swift's day would have taken it seriously. Remember that Swift's essay was aimed at an educated readership, people who would have been well-versed in both the essay format of argumentation and in the use of satire which Swift carried to new extremes with "A Modest Proposal." In fact, some literary critics have argued that, because its proposal was so patently absurd, Swift's essay was actually less sophisticated a satire than some other works, like those of Alexander Pope. But it is worth noting that it was a powerful satire on a number of levels, criticizing the overly scientific "political economy" solutions to social problems offered by many educated men as well as the effects of British colonialism on the Irish poor. What aspects of the essay resonated with people largely depended on the reader. As a side note, from personal observation, I have used this text with many different students, ranging from high school freshmen to college students, and I do not recall that any failed to "catch on" to the joke at some point. 

What magical ability does the monkey’s paw have?

Whether the monkey's paw possesses any magical powers at all is a big question which is never conclusively answered in the story. At the beginning of Part II, Mr. White makes a very significant statement.

"Morris said the things happened so naturally," said his father, "that you might if you so wished attribute it to coincidence."

Sergeant-Major Morris has had his three wishes, and the previous owner had three wishes. There are, according to Morris's story, only three more wishes left. Evidently the six wishes already made, and presumably granted, all could have been attributed to coincidence. When Mr. White receives two hundred pounds from Maw and Meggins as compensation for their son Herbert's accidental death at the factory, it could have been a mere coincidence that White had wished for that exact sum. 

Then when Mr. White wishes for his son Herbert to come back to life and return home, it could have been a coincidence that some stranger came knocking at the front door. And it could have been coincidental that the stranger stopped knocking and left right after Mr. White made his third and last wish, which was not included in the text but must have been that the knocking would cease and whoever was out there would go away. After all, if a stranger knocks at a door and nobody answers, he will go away. 

So the monkey's paw may have no magical ability at all. Common sense and reason tell us that there is no such thing as an object that has the power to grant wishes. It is just something we would like to believe. It makes a good story, like the story of "Aladdin and the Magic Lamp."

We do not know the nature of the three wishes made by the first owner of the monkey's paw, nor did Sergeant-Major Morris reveal anything about his own three wishes. If anybody had wished for something truly fantastic such as a fortune in gold or a palace full of servants, and had had the wish granted, then we could assume that the monkey's paw had magical powers. But the author deliberately avoids anything of the fantastic or supernatural. The story is about a very simple family living modestly in a house that is only worth about two hundred pounds. 

Another very intriguing story about an object that had the power to grant wishes is Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Bottle Imp." In that story the possessor of a certain magic bottle can have as many wishes as he wants. The only problem is that he has to sell it before he dies or he will go to hell for eternity. And the owner of the bottle always has to sell it for less than he paid for it. And over the years the selling price has been forced down until in the end the man who is stuck with the bottle is trying to dispose of this precious bottle for pennies. 

The appeal of all the many stories about a person being able to have his wishes granted is that they make us wonder what we would wish for if we knew our wishes would be granted. The common moral of many of these stories is usually the same:

Be careful about what you wish for, because your wish may be granted!

Explain Ralph's vision of what the group's goals should be and how they should work based on the text and your interpretation of Ralph's leadership?

Ralph envisions the group of boys working together to maintain the signal fire and build shelters. As a group, Ralph feels that each boy should contribute to collecting firewood, water, and fruit, as well as collectively help construct the shelters. He envisions Jack and his hunters successfully getting food for the group and making sure that the signal fire never goes out. Ralph envisions the castaways prioritizing rescue and survival, instead of focusing on carnal desires and fun activities. His goal is for passing ships or planes to spot the smoke coming from the signal fire and aid in their rescue. Ralph feels that the boys should complete their work before engaging in fun activities and not vice versa. He feels that the boys should look to him for leadership and follow his directives without opposition because he was elected chief. One of his goals is to maintain an organized civil society while on the island. He envisions the boys respecting the authority of the conch and following through with the directives given during the assemblies. Ralph leads by example and hopes that the boys will follow suit.

Cells of plant A make 120 molecules of glucose an hour. Cells of plant B make half as much glucose as plant A does. How much glucose does plant B...

Hello!

If cells of plant B make half as much glucose as plant A does, then they make a half of 120 molecules every hour. A half of 120 molecules is 60 molecules.

Now, 60 molecules per hour, how much it means per minute? There are 60 minutes in each hour, so one minute is 1/60 of a hour.

During 1/60 of an hour cells of plant B make 60 times less molecules than during a hour, i.e. 60 times less than 60 molecules, which is clearly 1 molecule.

The answer: cells of plant B make 1 molecule of glucose every minute.

I've been trying to find how to get the number of electrons in an element, but almost everywhere I go, it's a different answer! Please help, and...

The number of electrons in a neutral atom of an element is equal to the number of protons, which is the element's atomic number. For example, if you find oxygen on a periodic table you will see that it is element number 8. This means that it has eight protons, and therefore eight electrons. 

As you probably know, atoms can gain or lose electrons forming charged particles called ions. In order to find the number of electrons in an ion you need to know how many electrons have been gained or lost. If an atom has a positive charge it's lost electrons and if it has a negative charge it's gained electrons. The oxygen ion, O2-, has eight electrons because the neutral atom O had six and it had to gain two electrons to have a charge of 2-. Similarly, the sodium ion, Na+, has 10 electrons because neutral sodium has 11 (the same as its atomic number) and it had to lose one electron to have a charge of 1+.

If the oxygen pressure inside cells is lower, is the oxygen pressure of the blood the same or greater?

Oxygen diffuses into the blood and body tissues. Thus, oxygen will always move from an area of greater concentration to an area of lower concentration. When we consider the relative oxygen pressures in the blood versus the tissue cells, the answer to this question varies depending on which part of the circulatory system we consider.

Inhaled air contains more oxygen pressure than blood, so oxygen diffuses into the blood present in the capillaries of the lungs.

Thus, the blood leaving the lungs has been oxygenated and has an oxygen pressure greater than that of the body's cells.

As the oxygenated blood passes through the body's tissues, oxygen diffuses into the body's cells. During this stage, the oxygen pressure of the body's tissues is lower than that of the blood.

The blood entering the lungs has given off as much oxygen as possible to the body, and thus has an oxygen pressure equal to the oxygen pressure of the body's cells.

In "Lamb to the Slaughter" by Roald Dahl, what are Mary's feelings? What strategies does she adopt to prove her innocence?

The story begins with visual imagery highlighting the warmth and cozy atmosphere of Mary's home. Her own feelings are described as tranquil, content, and hopeful. She looks forward to her husband's arrival home with great anticipation.

She loved to luxuriate in the presence of this man, and to feel-almost as a sunbather feels the sun-that warm male glow that came out of him to her when they were alone together. She loved him for the way he sat loosely in a chair, for the way he came in a door, or moved slowly across the room with long strides.

Mary's feelings about her husband indicate that her worship of her husband is absolute and total in its trust. So, when he informs her that he is going to leave her, her first sentiments are that of incredulity and denial. It is obvious that Mary had never expected to be the recipient of such devastating news. Earlier in the story, the author mentions that Mary is six months pregnant, so the disastrous news that her husband has found another woman almost incapacitates her. She is in shock and resorts to the comfort of routine in order to process her new precarious situation; slowly, as if in a trance, Mary prepares to make her husband dinner. She takes out a leg of lamb.

She couldn't feel anything at all- except a slight nausea and a desire to vomit. Everything was automatic now-down the steps to the cellar, the light switch, the deep freeze, the hand inside the cabinet taking hold of the first object it met.

However, her husband's rough and insensitive refusal evinces an instantaneous and visceral reaction in her. She instinctively brings the frozen leg of lamb down on her husband's head.

Interestingly, the author tells us that, after killing her husband, Mary's thoughts become clearer. The stimulus of one emotional, spontaneous act awakens Mary's senses and maternal instincts. Now, her thoughts and feelings turn towards protecting the future of her child. Without delay, Mary refers to her years as the wife of a detective to help her concoct a plausible alibi. She practices careful and natural responses before she orders vegetables and a cheesecake dessert from the grocer. By allowing the grocer to wait on her, Mary knows that he will later substantiate her story when the police question him.

Mary then walks home to 'discover' the body of her dead husband. She allows herself to give way to her grief before calling the police; her grief is as natural as it is cathartic. She has just killed the man she once loved deeply; Mary knows that she must play the part of a distraught wife to perfection is she is to escape prosecution for her crime. As a strategy, Mary allows her natural, feminine expressions of grief to lull the detectives into security. She cleverly presents herself as the innocent and vulnerable widow who has been dealt a cruel hand by the vagaries of fate.

As a stroke of genius, Mary offers the men whiskey, further dulling their senses and disarming their instincts. The men drink in order to further avoid disappointing the 'fragile,' grieving widow. Mary also serves the leg of lamb to the detectives. In everything, she manages to cater to the male desire for domestic comfort and hospitality. While the men enjoy the leg of lamb, Mary giggles to herself: the detectives are eating forensic evidence as well as the murder weapon.

What makes classical conditioning different from operant conditioning?

Classical and operant conditioning are both central to behavioral psychology. Both result in learning, but their processes are quite different.

Classical conditioning was first prescribed by the Russian psychologist by the name of Ivan Pavlov. Classical conditioning focuses on involuntary and automatic behaviors. During classical conditioning, a previously neutral signal is placed before an unconditioned reflux occurs. Eventually, the signal becomes associated with and instigates the reflux.

The American psychologist by the name of B.F. Skinner is accredited with first describing operant conditioning. Operant conditioning focuses on strengthening or weakening voluntary behaviors by applying reinforcement or punishment after a behavior. In this way, an association between the reinforcement or punishment and the behavior is made. As a result, punished behaviors lessen and rewarded behaviors occur more frequently.

Please narrate the story the young man tells Gortsby in "Dusk."

Norman Gortsby sits on a park bench in the Park where he comes at dusk. After an older gentleman leaves, a young man plunks himself down, uttering an expletive. 

 "You don't seem in a very good temper," said Gortsby, judging that he was expected to take due notice of the demonstration.

The young man states that no one would be in a good mood if someone had experiences what he has. 

"Yes?" said Gortsby dispassionately. 

Feeling encouraged to relate what has happened to him, the young man explains that he arrived in the city with reservations to a hotel in Bershire Square. However, when he arrived in this square, there was no hotel. Instead, there is a cinema constructed where the hotel has been. And, since he had no where to go, the taxi driver suggested a hotel in another part of the city, so he went there.
Once at the new hotel, the young man wrote to his contacts and told them where he relocated. Then, he decided to step out for soap since he loathes hotel soap. And, while he was out, the young man wanted to have a drink in a bar, and to look at the shops. But, by the time he decided to return to the hotel, he realized that he had forgotten the name of the hotel, as well as on what street it is located.
So, now the young man is lost. While he can wire his contacts, his letter will not arrive until tomorrow; so, for the time being, he has nowhere to stay the night. 

"I suppose you think I've spun you rather an impossible yarn," said the young man presently, with a suggestion of resentment in his voice.

Gortsby commiserates, saying that he once was lost, too. But, counters the young man, he is not in a foreign country as Gortsby was, and if he were, he could contact his embassy and not have to spent a night on the Embankment. He concludes by saying to Gortsby, "I'm glad, anyhow, that you don't think the story outrageously improbable."
Gortsby says that the tale has been good, except for the part about the soap since he should be able to produce this item to verify what he says. Then, the young man jambs his hands into his pockets, but he cannot find the soap. Upon hearing these words, the young man jumps to his feet and searches his pockets. "I must have dropped it," he concludes. Gortsby says to lose his hotel and then his soap is to much to believe.

What is the setting of Waiting for Normal?

The main setting of the story, Waiting for Normal, takes place in modern times in Schenectady, New York.  Addie, the main protagonist is moved there by her mother and lives in a trailer.  Times are hard for Addie as she is often left alone by her mother (Mommers) who is bi-polar.  The family is poor, and Addie is often neglected and has to cook, clean, and take care of herself when her mother disappears for days at a time.  Addie wants to be part of a family, to live a “normal” life, and throughout the story, she seeks some sort of stability in her life.  She becomes friends with Soula and Elliot who watch Addie when her mother is not around.  Her ex-stepfather, Dwight, also tries to help the situation as much as he can.  All Addie wants is to live with her ex-stepfather and his daughters, and luckily, Addie is able to do that by the end of the novel. 

Waiting for Normal is a testament of a young girl’s ability to survive a difficult situation and come out alive and well.

In A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, what type of literary device is "golden idol"?

In Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, the Ghost of Christmas Past takes Ebenezer Scrooge back in time to when he was dating Belle. The reader witnesses their breakup when Belle and Scrooge have the following conversation. Belle speaks first:

"Another idol has displaced me; and it can cheer and comfort you in time to come as I would have tried to do, I have no just cause to grieve."

"What idol has replaced you?" he rejoined.

"A golden one." (Dickens 47)

Here, Belle is saying that Ebenezer Scrooge once loved her--perhaps to the point of worship like one worships a religious idol. Now she has been replaced by money. Scrooge cares more about wealth and how much money he can make than he does about anything else, and Belle recognizes this. The "golden idol" is a metaphor for wealth. Belle feels that if they continue their relationship, Scrooge will eventually resent her, and their relationship will continue to deteriorate, so she breaks up with him.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder)?

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder in which sufferers experience unwanted and repeated thoughts, feelings, or behaviors. A behavior is usually done in order to try to get rid of the thoughts and/or feelings. However, the thoughts and/or feelings persist even after the behavior is completed. This leads to a vicious cycle in which the thoughts and/or feelings consistently instigate the behaviors.

A disadvantage to OCD is that the routines that accompany an individual’s obsessive compulsive disorder can become all-consuming. Sufferers of obsessive compulsive disorders may have a poor quality of life because the ritualistic routines that accompany the disorder consume all their time. As a result, relationships with their loved ones may suffer.

Obsessive compulsive disorder is also thought to have an evolutionary advantage. Being obsessive about order and cleanliness is seen to be advantageous in a primitive world were disinfectants were nonexistent. Such behaviors are thought to have kept individuals clean and helped them live longer and produce more offspring.

What were the primary strategies employed by the North and South in the Civil War?

In the Civil War, the North tried to encircle the South and then cut it apart.  The South could have stood on the defensive, but it did not. Instead, it tried to take the fight to the North so that it could break the North’s will to fight and, perhaps, gain international recognition.

The North wanted to encircle the South to prevent it from getting the supplies it needed.  It tried to do this mainly through a naval blockade.  Then, it tried to invade the South and cut it apart.  It attacked down the Mississippi River, taking control of that river and cutting the western part of the CSA off from the east.  It attacked along the Tennessee River and then took Atlanta, cutting the Deep South off from the northern parts of the CSA.  All this time, it used its superior numbers and material wealth to pursue a strategy of attrition, wearing the CSA down and destroying its ability to fight.

The CSA could have simply defended its territory without trying to invade the North.  However, for a variety of reasons, it did not wish to do this.  Instead, it tried to attack the North.  The most famous instance of this was in its invasion of Pennsylvania that ended with the Battle of Gettysburg.  The South hoped to make it clear that the North could not defeat it.  It hoped to attract recognition from Europe that it was a sovereign country.  If it had achieved either of these, it may have won its independence.

What are the turning points in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird?

The terms turning point and climax are used interchangeably as literary terms. A turning point, or climax, is the moment in the story when "all rising action turns around into falling action" (Literary Devices, "Climax"). At this moment, the conflict has reached its greatest point of intensity, and the resolution is in sight. There are two major plot-lines within Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. The first concerns the children's coming-of-age story, which entails learning acceptance. The second concerns Atticus's role as Tom Robinson's defense lawyer, which has significant consequences for the children and plays a crucial role in the children's development. Both of these plot-lines have their own major turning points.

The most important factor in the children's coming-of-age story is their learning to accept Arthur (Boo) Radley. Jem is the first of the children to realize that Arthur is not the monster they think he is. Jem develops this realization as he comes to understand that Arthur is reaching out to the children and showing kindness in his own quiet way by mending Jem's pants and leaving the children gifts in the knothole of an oak tree on the Radleys' property. He is so moved by the kindnesses and feels so ashamed of having mocked Arthur that he cries by the end of Chapter 7. As Jem further comes to understand how different people can be and to accept those differences, he comes to understand that Arthur stays in his house all the time simply because "he wants(it) to stay inside" (Ch. 23).

However, the greatest moment of turning point concerning the children's coming-of-age story doesn't occur until Scout has her own epiphany at the very end of the book. By the end of Chapter 29, Scout realizes two things. First, she realizes that as she looks at the strange man standing in her brother's room, she is looking at her neighbor Arthur for the very first time. Second, she realizes it was Arthur who saved the children's lives. Seeing her previously mysterious neighbor as their caring savior moves her to tears, just as Jem had been moved to tears earlier. Her greatest moment of epiphany is revealed in the final chapter when she says she has finally come to understand what Atticus means when he said, "[Y]ou never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them" (Ch. 31). Standing on Arthur's porch after having escorted him home, she feels she is able to see things as Arthur saw them and understand how much he cares about the two children.

The turning point in Atticus's case defending Tom Robinson occurs the moment Robinson is found guilty by the jury. Though Atticus revealed a great deal of circumstantial evidence proving Robinson's innocence and has every hope of Robinson being acquitted upon appeal to the higher courts, Robinson's fate is sealed at that point. His fate is especially sealed the moment he tries to take justice in to his own hands by attempting to escape prison and is shot to death by the prison guards. These events force the children to understand the injustice in the world, an understanding that helps them grow up.

What literary device is used in the last verse of "Barbie Doll"?

Irony is the literary device used in Marge Piercy's "Barbie Doll" throughout the poem, and, certainly, in the last verse.

Irony is a literary tool that, unlike sarcasm and satire, is not cruel or biting; instead, it is a device that is subtle, and very effective in its delicacy. Futhermore, in "Barbie Doll," Piercy's subtle use of irony adds force to her poem, providing an extra dimension to her verse. For instance, the upbeat tone of the poem and the lilting rhythms ironically belie the tragic import of its message. 
When the girl is born "as usual," and she has the dolls and stoves and other things that most girls her age have, everything is normal. However, the verbal irony of " the magic of puberty," transforms her from a "usual" girl to one whose nose and legs are too large, and she is no longer "normal." 

Further, in the last verse, the irony is intensely effective as it points to how the girl has become so tortured that she disfigures herself and dies. It is only in death that she finally acquires a pretty turned-up nose, fashioned of putty by the undertaker.

Doesn't she look pretty? everyone said.
Consummation at last.
To every woman a happy ending.

Ironically, it is only in death--ironically termed "Consummation"--that the girl becomes "pretty" and acceptable in her appearance.

Without doubt, the poet hides her criticism of the demands of society by subtly attacking its artificiality of judging a person on physical appearance. She strikes at the damaging effects of such censure and criticism by using melodic rhythms and an ironic tone of formality and detachment.

What are 3 quotes from Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird that prove Tom Robinson is innocent?

Atticus Finch, Robinson's lawyer, does a beautiful job discrediting Bob and Mayella Ewell's testimonies on the witness stand. Bob is the first witness who says that he caught Tom raping his daughter, but there are two things a father would have done at that point in time. First, he would have noticed exactly what sores, bruises, or cuts were on Mayella, and then he would have called a doctor to check her out. Bob did neither of these two things, which calls into question the validity of the accusations. Atticus wears Bob down and commits him to certain "facts" of the case that could not have been inflicted on Mayella by a one-armed man. Bob says that the perpetrator's hand marks were all the way around his daughter's neck and that her right eye was bruised. To begin with, Tom could not have placed two hands around the girl's neck; and secondly, a right-armed man would have punched her right eye, not her left one. To prove that Mr. Ewell could have punched his daughter, Atticus had him sign his name in front of the whole courtroom. Without prompting him, Bob signs his name with his left hand. Scout understands what her father did by concluding the following:

"Atticus was trying to show, it seemed to me, that Mr. Ewell could have beaten up Mayella. That much I could follow. If her right eye was blacked and she was beaten mostly on the right side of the face, it would tend to show that a left-handed person did it" (178).

Then second thing that the prosecuting attorney did not have was any medical evidence that rape had actually occurred. Atticus argues as follows:

"The state has not produced one iota of medical evidence to the effect that the crime Tom Robinson is charged with ever took place. It has relied instead upon the testimony of two witnesses who evidence has not only been called into serious question on cross-examination, but has been flatly contradicted by the defendant. The defendant is not guilty, but somebody in this courtroom is" (203).

The final thing that proves that Tom Robinson is not guilty is the fact that Mayella Ewell is the guilty one. She is guilty of crossing the line socially and to avoid being held responsible for her actions, she blames an innocent man. Atticus explains it with the following:

"She was white, and she tempted a Negro. She did something that in our society is unspeakable: she kissed a black man. Not an old Uncle, but a strong young Negro man. No code mattered to her before she broke it, but it came crashing down on her afterwards" (204).

A lot of the evidence to prove Tom guilty does not exist. The charges are there to protect Mayella from what really happened. Therefore, the lack of medical and forensic evidence proves Tom is innocent.

Why do dark objects absorb more heat and light?

Heat and light are both forms of energy. Therefore, in terms of the object absorbing more heat and light what is really being observed is dark objects absorbing more energy. Light energy can be transferred into heat by exciting molecules in an object which has absorbed it, leading directly to increased heating in that object. This phenomenon is why dark objects will have get hotter than lighter ones. Different wavelengths of light contain different amounts of energy. Shorter wavelengths of light, such as violet, contain more energy than longer wavelengths of light, such as red. This means an object that absorbed violet wavelengths of light will absorb more energy than an object that absorbed red wavelengths of light, and thus have more energy to transfer into the form of heat. 

Lets take black objects for example. Black objects absorb all wavelengths of the color spectrum. White objects on the other hand, reflects all wavelengths of the color spectrum. Because dark objects absorb more wavelengths of light, they also absorb more energy. This energy from light causes molecules in the object to move more rapidly, generating heat. In the example of a white object, this does not happen because the object is reflecting all the wavelengths of light and the molecules inside the object are not being excited. Since no light energy is absorbed, no heat is generated. Hope this helps!

In George Orwell's "Politics and the English Language," a sixth "language trick" is to write by habit, stringing together "ready-made phrases." Why...

In his essay "Politics and the English Language," Orwell points out several common writing practices that lead, in his mind, not only to bad writing but also to poor and even dangerous thinking. His point is that our use of language affects the way we think. 

One of the errors Orwell points out is stringing together cliched phrases. He writes:

"As I have tried to show, modern writing at its worst does not consist in picking out words for the sake of their meaning and inventing images in order to make the meaning clearer. It consists in gumming together long strips of words which have already been set in order by someone else, and making the results presentable by sheer humbug. The attraction of this way of writing is that it is easy."

In other words, people don't choose words carefully and with a deliberate consideration of their meaning. Instead, they use well-worn phrases that they borrow from others. The attraction of this type of writing is that it is simple; however, as Orwell writes, the result is unclear writing: "By using stale metaphors, similes, and idioms, you save much mental effort, at the cost of leaving your meaning vague, not only for your reader but for yourself." If the writer uses cliched phrases, she (or he) saves herself (or himself) from the problem of thinking and deciding what she (or he) means. As Orwell expresses later in this essay, the result of using cliches is that the writer can try to obscure or hide his or her meaning and even try to defend concepts, such as warfare, that are evil or malicious in intent. Unclear writing allows the writer to express evil ideas without seeming overtly evil.

Who was the President during Pearl Harbor?

Franklin Roosevelt was the President of the United States during Pearl Harbor. He was just completing the first year of his third term in office, having been reelected in 1940. Pearl Harbor was the disastrous culmination of a lengthy balancing act for Roosevelt, who tried to keep the United States out of war while simultaneously helping Great Britain and China fight the Germans and Japanese respectively. He had always wanted the United States to be more active in supporting the enemies of the Axis, but was restrained by some isolationist forces within Congress and American society as a whole. Pearl Harbor put to rest any hope that the United States could stay out of the conflict. Roosevelt would finish his third term and win reelection again in 1944. He died in 1945, just before the end of the war in Europe, and was replaced by his Vice President Harry Truman. 

Which month, day and year did Lennie Small die?

In Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men the main characters George and Lennie are migrant farm workers who travel from place to place in California to find agricultural jobs. In Chapter One they have come to a clearing next to the Salinas River and are spending the night before going on to a nearby ranch where they will "buck barley." George talks about getting work passes in the town of Salinas. Even though Steinbeck spends a good deal of time in the beginning of each chapter describing the various settings of the novella, including the clearing near the river, the bunkhouse and the barn, he never explicitly identifies the exact year or season when Lennie dies. Considering, however, that the men were hired to help harvest the ranch's crop of barley it is most certainly at some point in the late summer. According to the USDA, barley in California is planted in the early spring and harvest may begin as early as August 15 and last until October 1. The novella was originally published in 1937 and according to his biographer Jackson Benson, Steinbeck began writing the book in late 1936. The events in the book are certainly contemporary to the Great Depression of the 1930's. Thus, the actual date of Lennie's death was probably a Sunday (day of the week is noted in the beginning of Chapter Five) in September of the year 1935 or 1936. Of course, this is an educated guess and there is no textual evidence to suggest its complete accuracy. 

The Department of Defense is in charge of A. developing and manufacturing weapons. B. protecting the country against external threats. C....

Of the options given here, the best answer is that the Department of Defense is in charge of protecting the United States from external threats.  However, I would suggest that you check your class materials to see if your instructor wants to see a different answer.

At the Department of Defense’s website, their mission is given as follows. 

The mission of the Department of Defense is to provide the military forces needed to deter war and to protect the security of our country.

This definition of the department’s mission does not match exactly with any of the options you have provided.  However, I do think it is closest to Option B.

Options C and E are clearly wrong.  The military is mainly about hard power, not soft power.  The Department of Defense is not mainly concerned with homeland security, which has more to do with domestic law enforcement than with military forces.

That leaves Options A, B, and D.  The department does do all of these things to some extent.  However, Options A and D are very narrow activities.  The Department of Defense does more than that.  Therefore, I would choose Option B.

What is a theme of Touching Spirit Bear and what is some textual evidence that explains the theme?

The theme is the importance of forgiveness.

Forgiveness is important in this novel because Cole has to forgive his parents, Peter has to forgive him, and he has to forgive himself.  The novel’s events occur because Cole is an angry young man.  His father is abusive and his mother is alcoholic.  He attacks a classmate, Peter, for telling on him when he tried to rob a hardware store.  This just makes him hate himself more.

Cole agrees to take part in Circle Justice because he thinks that he will get an easier sentence.  It has nothing to do with feeling bad about what he has done.  Cole blames everyone else for his own problems.  Garvey tries to explain the importance of the process to him.

Garvey spoke patiently. “You don’t have to be Native American or First Nation. Anybody can love, forgive, and heal. Nobody has a corner on that market.” (Ch. 1)

Cole’s response is to ask what’s in it for him.  However, he gets immense benefits out of forgiveness.  It takes Cole a long time to forgive his parents and himself for what he has done.  The first time he is on the island, he makes no effort to forgive.  He attacks the Spirit Bear and almost dies.  However, after that experience he realizes that Peter can’t forgive him if he doesn’t forgive himself.

Garvey explains the importance of Peter’s forgiving Cole.

 “How come everything is always about you? This forgiveness isn’t for you. Until Peter forgives you, he won’t heal.”

“Maybe if he forgives me, everyone will forget about what I did and I can get out of this pit faster.” (Ch. 3)

It takes Peter a long time to forgive Cole.  He comes to Cole’s island and hates him at first, but he eventually realizes that Cole has changed.  Peter’s forgiveness helps Cole forgive himself.

Cole gives up the resentment he has toward his parents.  The important part is that Cole has come to understand himself better, and he has let go of his anger.  He no longer blames other people, and he is ready to move on.

Is life possible on other planets?

Life maybe possible on other planets, provided some conditions are met. First of all, we have to understand that life could be very different from what we observe on Earth. Other planets may have a different atmosphere and gaseous composition. The planet may or may not have the type of relationship we have with our star (the Sun), in terms of seasonal cycle and solar radiation. The planet may also have more extreme or uniform weather. Under such conditions, life may exist, but could be totally different than Earth's life forms. Unlike the planet is very Earth like, life could be dependent on similar or different sources of food and life processes (such as photosynthesis, cellular respiration, etc.) could be different. There is certainly a possibility of existence of life on other planets, however, they may be so distant, that we will not be able to find them anytime soon. 

Hope this helps. 

In "The Bet" by Anton Chekhov, if you were the banker, how would you react to the lawyer's note? Why?

Adopting the persona of the banker in "The Bet," I would feel very relieved to read the lawyer's note for two reasons. First of all, the lawyer's rejection of the two million rubles would significantly improve my financial situation which, according to the text, is dire:

Fifteen years before, his millions had been beyond his reckoning; now he was afraid to ask himself which were greater, his debts or his assets.

Secondly, the lawyer's rejection of the bet also saves me from becoming a murderer. This is because the lawyer no longer poses a threat to my financial security. 

Finally, as the banker, I might also experience a realisation that money is not everything. In his note, for instance, the lawyer rejects the money on the basis that it represents everything which he despises. After being alone with nothing but books for the last fifteen years, it seems to me that his wisdom is worth considering. 

How can you reduce the friction and air resistance of a car?

The motion of a car is resisted by air, since the car will experience collision with air molecules, which will resist any change in their state of motion. There are few factors which affect the air resistance of a moving car. These include, shape of the car, its surface finish and velocity of the car. We tend to avoid edges when making cars and try to make them as streamlined or smooth as possible. Any abrupt edge or corner, will simply the air resistance. That is the reason, we have so many curves on the car. We also keep the car surface smooth to provide a smoother passage for air flow and hence use paints and polish. At higher speeds, more air resistance is experienced, however, it would be impractical to slow down to reduce air resistance. We can however take some steps, such as keeping windows closed, while traveling at high speeds. 

The friction in a car can be reduced by using proper lubrication in various parts. 

Hope this helps. 

What is the theme of "How Much Land Does a Man Need" by Leo Tolstoy?

“How Much Land Does a Man Need?” is a tale of the theme of greed.  The main character, Pahom, is, at the beginning of the story, a peasant who places all his value on material representations of wealth, and who is therefore unhappy.  And so his family works together to earn the money to buy a plot of land, and they are successful, and this land provides happiness for Pahom for a time.  Soon, however, he begins to desire more space and more profit, and sells his land for a larger plot, upon which the same thing happens – he is happy for a time, but soon begins to crave more.  So we can say that one theme of the story is that greed for material gain does not provide eternal happiness.  If a person looks outside himself for happiness, he will never be satisfied with what he has, and will eventually reach too far and face his downfall.

This is what happens to Pahom, who is given the task by a tribal people of marking out any area of land, on foot, before the setting of the sun.  If he returns to where he started in the allotted time, he can have the ground he covered for a very cheap price.  Pahom’s reason is overthrown by his greed, and instead of assuring himself plenty of time he walks blindly around the best corners of the land, not noticing that he is running out of time until it is too late.  He makes it back to where he started, and the chief of the tribe is willing to make a concession despite the fact that he was a few minutes late – unfortunately, however, Pahom has killed himself in his efforts.  And in the end, once Pahom was buried, “Six feet from his head to his heels was all he needed.”

This ironic ending note is a testament to the futility of amassing any excessive amount of wealth or assets, for what good is it all if it destroys a man?  In the end a very humble plot of land is all a man has truly earned – that grave that equalizes any one life with the next.  Better to be satisfied with humble gains from the beginning, and be free to appreciate and celebrate what you have rather than suffer with the chains of greed around one’s ankles.

What is an example of Rivka being brave in The Devil's Arithmetic?

There are many examples of Rivka being brave in The Devil's Arithmetic.  It is important to remember that Rivka is also Hannah’s “Aunt Eva.”  Hannah does not discover this fact until the end.  When Hannah is transported back in time to the Holocaust, Rivka is exactly Hannah’s age.  Almost all of Rivka’s small actions of survival are examples of her bravery.  Rivka is always “organizing” in order to make life in the concentration camp palatable for the Jewish people confined there.  Rivka is always risking her own safety by procuring extra clothing and food to help others. 

Rivka has two goals:  to survive and to remember.  Rivka accomplishes both goals by the end of the novel.  Rivka has survived the Holocaust due to the help of Hannah/Chaya.  Further, Rivka originally changes her name to Eva in order “to forget,” but Rivka finally realizes that trying to forget the Holocaust is a bad idea because that would make it easier for history to repeat itself.  In revealing the complete story to Hannah at the end of the novel, Rivka has accomplished her goal to help the Jewish people remember.

what is masonry?

Masonry generally refers to working with stone to create walls and buildings. Masons are also called bricklayers as a key component of masonry is to lay brick and bind it with mortar or concrete. Masons may also work with limestone, marble, concrete, granite, and carved or cast stone. The term "masonry" can also refer to the materials used by a mason for building. For example, a bricklayer both performs masonry (by laying stone) and uses masonry (the stone being laid.) Masonry is a form of skilled labor with a long history as a specialized trade. The brick and stone buildings in your town or city were most likely built with by the work of masons.

Masonry may also refer to a Javascript layout, which fits the material of a webpage into tight positions so as to maximize use of space. This is similar to what a mason does when laying brick.

Compare and contrast carotene and xanthophyll.

Below, several similarities of carotene and xanthophyll have been identified:

• Carotene and xanthophyll are both accessory plant pigments.


• Carotene and xanthophyll pass the energy that they capture from the sun onto chlorophyll a.


• Both pigments are housed in the chloroplasts of plant cells.


• Both pigments can be used during photosynthesis. During photosynthesis, sunlight energy is used to convert carbon dioxide gas and water into the sugar known as glucose and oxygen gas.

Below are some differences between carotene and xanthophyll.

• Carotene and xanthophyll absorb sunlight energy from different regions of the visible light spectrum.


• A main difference between carotene and xanthophyll is the color displayed by each pigment. Carotene is red to orange in color. Xanthophyll is yellow in color.

What do lines 7-9 of Canto 23 of Dante's Inferno mean?

In Canto 23, Dante worries that the demons will come after him and his companion, Virgil. While he ponders their fate, he is reminded of the soul of Navarre in the previous Canto and all that the unfortunate soul suffers at the hands of the demons. This is why he tells us that the 'present fray' has turned his thoughts towards the parable of the mouse and the frog. He is uncomfortably cognizant of the fact that there are parallels between the soul of Navarre's fate in Canto 22 and the fate of the mouse and frog in the parable. Dante clearly sees the soul from Navarre as the hapless mouse who is subjected to the mercies of the frog (the demons).

Comparing the two situations worries him to the point that he pleads with Virgil the necessity of hiding from the demons. Before we continue, I will briefly explain the parable of the frog and mouse. In the story (attributed to Aesop), a mouse wants to cross a pond. Without options, he reluctantly agrees to ride on the back of a frog. The frog, however, isn't really the kind soul he presents himself to be. He actually plans to drown the mouse when the two approach the middle of the pond. In the meantime, the sly frog suggests that the mouse tie himself to his back to prevent himself from falling off during the crossing. The mouse does so, but to his regret, soon discovers  the frog's true intentions. So, the mouse struggles to free himself; unluckily for him, however, an eagle catches sight of the mouse and swoops down to retrieve the mouse for his dinner. Since the frog and the mouse are tied together, the eagle ends up eating both animals for his supper.

In Canto 22, the soul of Navarre manages to flee from the demons by plunging into the depths of the boiling pitch. Supposedly on a mission to call up seven Italians from the boiling depths, the soul of Navarre manages to cause at least two demons to be plunged into the burning pitch with him. Now, this is where some experts disagree on which party represents the frog and which represents the mouse. Some argue that the soul of Navarre is the mouse and the demons, the frog: as the sly frog eventually shares the terrible fate of the mouse, so do the demons (the frog) suffer the same fiery punishment as the soul of Navarre (the mouse).

Other experts argue that the soul of Navarre IS the frog and the demons, the mouse. This is because they assert that the soul of Navarre (frog) tricks the demons (mouse) into jumping in after him and getting stuck in the boiling pitch. However, I see some difficulties with this interpretation, as the mouse is never presented in the parable as one who desires harm to come to the frog. Just the opposite is true with the frog: he means for the mouse to drown. Similarly, in Canto 22, the demons mean to inflict physical tortures on any soul they catch trying to escape the boiling pitch. To then equate them with the mouse figure becomes problematic.

To get back to our discussion, lines 6-9 demonstrate Dante's growing realization that the demons cannot be trusted and that any entanglement with them will inevitably lead to terrible suffering. This is why he is so fearful and why he strongly impresses on Virgil the necessity of hiding.

What is the tone of The Pearl in chapter 1?

In chapter 1 of The Pearl, the setting is simple: a hut by the ocean in which Kino lives with his wife and baby. The tone is one of peace and simplicity, even innocence. Like the Garden of Eden, the man and wife live in a “paradise” of nature. The separation from the turmoil and chaos of a city, with its large conglomerate of people and “sin” presents a place where nothing bad could happen. The poverty is not overbearing; the hunger is minimal. What hopes and dreams Kino has are within easy reach. It is only when Kino finds the pearl that the possibilities of a life outside of this paradise bring a sense that Kino’s life will change for the worse, as indeed it does. As is usual, the tone of peacefulness so early in a story is an indication that something will interrupt or destroy that peace. With the scorpion bite on the baby’s shoulder, however, trouble has come into Kino’s paradise.

What is the name of the boy in Boyne's The Boy in the Striped Pajamas that Bruno describes to Lieutenant Kotler?

The name of the boy that Bruno describes to Lieutenant Kotler in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is Shmuel.  My guess is that this question is one in a series of questions specifically asked about Chapter 15.  This is the chapter when Bruno enters the kitchen and is completely shocked to find Shmuel there.  Shmuel is chosen to enter the house because his fingers are so small that he is the only one that can clean the tiny glasses.  It should be obvious to the reader that Shmuel's fingers are tiny and thin because he is at the point of starvation. Bruno gives Shmuel food.  It is at this point that Lieutenant Kotler comes in and begins his questioning of Shmuel, who replies that he did not steal food.  "No, sir.  He gave it to me. ... He's my friend."  This is the moment that Bruno is forced to explain himself in a way that no nine-year-old child ever should.

I ... he was here when I came in. ... He was cleaning glasses. ... I've never spoken to him. ... I've never seen him before in my life.  I don't know him.

Bruno is immediately disgusted with himself for his grave mistake and for his cowardice in the situation.  Even so, Bruno does not understand what his denial of friendship means for Shmuel.  The next time Bruno sees Shmuel to apologize, Bruno notices that Shmuel is covered in bruises. 

Name three steps of the escape plan in The Giver

We learn about the escape in Ch. 20. It took quite a bit of preparation, including steps that they plan to take both before and after Jonas leaves the community. Here are the first three steps to get you started.

One of the first steps is that Jonas and the Giver plan to delay the escape for a couple of weeks so they had time for the Giver to

"transfer memory of courage and strength that he could to Jonas. He would need those to help him find the Elsewhere that they were both sure existed. They knew it would be a very difficult journey" (Ch.20).

Next, they decide Jonas will need to leave his house the night before the December Ceremony. This is very dangerous, though, as no member of the community is allowed out of their house at night unless they are on "official business," which of course he would not be.

Then, Jonas would sneak over to the Giver's Annex, where they plan to sneak him out in a car the next morning. The Giver plans to call for a car to take him to another community and then send the driver away for a few minutes to get something and while he is gone, Jonas would sneak into the trunk of the car and hide with food the Giver had been storing from his own meals.

It is important to remember none of this takes placed as planned because Jonas's father changes everything by saying that Gabriel is schedule for release the next morning. Therefore, Jonas decides on his own, that night, to leave with Gabe in the middle of the night.

Why did Poe create an unreliable, first-person, participant narrator to tell the story in "The Tell-Tale Heart?" What is the benefit to the reader?

What seems to be most important about Poe's choice of a first-person narrator that is unreliable and a participant in "The Tell-Tale Heart" is his ability to convey the very thing the speaker denies is true: his insanity. Ironically, only the speaker is able to so clearly convey his failure to grasp reality, as the reader tries to follow his flawed and erratic reasoning. 

The dramatic monologue begins with the unnamed (and highly unreliable) first-person narrator issuing a challenge of sorts...

The narrator wants to set the record straight, and the challenge must be in response to someone listening (in a jail or a mental institution) who has intimated that the speaker is crazy. Rather than insanity, the narrator tries to say he is simply nervous:

TRUE!—NERVOUS—VERY, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses—not destroyed—not dulled them. 

In the introduction, the speaker acknowledges that he has a disease, but tries to explain that it is not a malady, but something with desirable results—that his senses are excellent rather than diminished. He speaks about his heightened sense of hearing:

I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell.

This seems a clear indication that he has lost his mind, for who hears things in heaven and/or hell? It is his sense of acute hearing (its foundation found in his madness) that foreshadows the story's conclusion. With these kinds of details, the reader cannot help but arrive at a conclusion that the speaker is truly insane.

When searching his mind for motive, the speaker mentions all the positive things about the man that he is clearly aware of—things that seemingly might convince another to kill or not kill the man—but things that do not move him:

Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire.

He explains that all the rational motivations for murder (insult, greed, etc.) do not generate a desire within him to cause harm—in fact, he has no reason to do so. Neither does he have a passionate disposition that might drive him to an emotional and/or mental brink to bring on a break with reality or sanity. Instead, he notes that the old man's eye is the reason the narrator decides to plan the murder of the man who has been so kind and good. What a completely irrational statement.

I think it was his eye! yes, it was this! 

Try as he or she might, the reader cannot follow this thread of reasoning because it is not based in rational thought, although he or she may try very hard to do so:

...the reader feels compelled to try to understand the method and meaning of the madness.

The dialogue that the speaker provides throughout the story allows the reader (while attempting to follow his skewed mental reasoning) to be convinced of the speaker's mental break. The details become horrific and the suspense rises as the speaker's panic becomes almost tangible. Rather than convincing the reader of his hold on reality, the reader is instead convinced of the speaker's seething madness. The imagined sound of the dead's man heart still beating is the narrator's undoing:

I felt that I must scream or die! and now—again!—hark! louder! louder! louder! louder!

“Villains!” I shrieked, “dissemble no more! I admit the deed!—tear up the planks! here, here!—It is the beating of his hideous heart!”

Had this story been told in the third-person, it would not have the same impact upon its audience. It is only in the mind of a crazy man such as this that while one attempts to follow the narrator's erratic thoughts, the reader can discover and be convinced that the criminal in the story has no reason or sound judgment. As he mentions early on, his obsession is only because of his hatred of the "Evil eye." Insanity is the only rationale for this statement, and hearing the narrator's thoughts is an effective way of allowing the reader to perceive the depth of his madness, and experience the horror of the speaker's actions—as Poe intends.