Compare the American Dream theme in The Great Gatsby to the American Dream theme in Obama's 2004 speech at the Democratic National Convention.

The limitless possibilities of the American Dream is one comparison between Senator Obama's 2004 speech and The Great Gatsby.

The stories of Barack Obama's father and Jay Gatsby are similar in that both began poor.  Born in rural America to poor farmers, James Gatz had a strong dislike for poverty.  It left a lasting imprint on his identity.  This drives him to remake his identity as Jay Gatsby. Learning from Dan Cody's criminal self-made ways, Gatsby acquires wealth beyond measure, starting with very little and attaining a great deal.  

The opening to Senator Obama's speech focuses on life in Africa for Obama's grandfather, who was a "domestic servant."  Obama says that his grandfather held the "larger dreams for his son" that incorporated the limitless possibilities of the American Dream realized through education. Sent from Kenya to America to be educated, Obama's own father rose above the level of Obama's grandfather: "Through hard work and perseverance my father got a scholarship to study in a magical place, America, that's shown as a beacon of freedom and opportunity to so many who had come before him."  Because of his grandfather's hard work, diligent savings and private dream, Obama's father, like Gatsby, began with little and attained much.  Obama's mom and dad envisioned the same for their son:

My parents shared not only an improbable love; they shared an abiding faith in the possibilities of this nation. They would give me an African name, Barack, or "blessed," believing that in a tolerant America, your name is no barrier to success.

What is the significance of gender roles in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Most of the gender roles in To Kill a Mockingbird are very traditional for the timeframe the book is set. In other words, most of the characters fulfill the expectations of traditional gender roles. The one main exception to this is, of course, Scout.

Scout is a tomboy and very clearly not in any hurry to become a "lady." Her mother died when she was just a toddler, so she has had more male influence in her life than female. Although Calpurnia is around, she is not her mother and Atticus and Jem still have far more influence over her. She prefers to play with boys than girls, she hates dresses, and all of the expectations society has of "ladies" simply do not suit her. Unfortunately, her Aunt Alexandra is bound and determined to turn her into one:

"I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches; when I said I could do nothing in a dress, she said I wasn't supposed to be doing things that required pants. (Ch. 9)

Aside from Scout, there are some other indications that not everyone is comfortable with the traditional roles that society sets forth. Miss Maudie is also quite happy in overalls and accepts Scout for who she is rather than trying to convert her to being more girlish. Miss Maudie herself is not as ladylike as many of the women in town and this is obvious to Scout, who seems to admire that trait in her. We also see Dill as a fairly effeminate little boy. He is small for his age and loves to talk and tell stories. He gets along great with Scout and Jem, but he does not seem to have any other friends who are boys outside of Jem.

Lee's subtext throughout the book is that there should be room in society for those who do not wish to conform to the traditional gender roles - as she herself did not, either. 

What does the light coming from the head of the Ghost of Christmas Past symbolize?

In the second stave of A Christmas Carol, the Ghost of Christmas Past visits Scrooge. This ghost has a "bright clear jet of light" which protrudes from the "crown of its head." This light functions as a symbol of hope and of goodness in the world. It is created and prolonged by kind words and deeds and we see evidence of this in the first conversation between Scrooge and the ghost when Scrooge asks if the ghost will wear its extinguisher cap. The ghost responds by saying:

"What!" exclaimed the ghost, "would you so soon put out, with worldly hands, the light I give? Is it not enough that you are one of those whose passions made this cap?"

This idea is further reinforced when Scrooge revisits his former employer, Fezziwig. As Scrooge relives this experience, he is filled with good memories and joy which prompts the light on the ghost's head to burn "very clear." Similarly, at the end of the visit, Scrooge observes that the light burns "high and bright." This is because Scrooge has begun to reform his character and his happiness and joy has strengthened the light. 

If a solution of barium hydroxide contains 9.1x10^25 hydroxide ions, how many grams of barium hydroxide were originally dissolved?

The formula for barium hydroxide is Ba(OH)2. We know this because the charge of the barium ion is +2 and the hydroxide ion is OH-.

The steps to solving this problem are:

1. Calculate the number of moles of Ba(OH)2 that contain 9.1 x 10^23 OH- ions. One mole = 6.02x10^23, and we can see from the formula that there are two OH- ions in each formula unit of Ba(OH)2.

2. Calculate the molar mass of Ba(OH)2.

3. Calculate the mass of the number of moles obtained in step one. 

Moles Ba(OH)2 =

(9.1x10^25 OH- ions)(1 mol Ba(OH)2/2 OH- ions)(6.02x10^23 particles/1mol) = 75.6 moles Ba(OH)2

molar mass = 137.3g + 2(16.0 g/mol) + 2(1.01 g/mol) = 171.3 g/mol

Mass of Ba(OH)2 - (75.6 mol)(171.3 g/1mol) = 1295 g Ba(OH)2 

How do both Golding and Conrad display human nature?

In Lord of the Flies and Heart of Darkness we watch as formerly civilized people fall into a state of violence, barbarism, and evil. In Lord of the Flies the boys become superstitious of the beast, split into fighting groups, and eventually even burn the island in their quarrels. In Heart of Darkness, a man of great civilization becomes a murderer and a savage.

Both novels explore the lurking dark side of human nature. The heart of darkness, as it is described in Conrad's title is something evil in our nature that lurks just below the surface. Without the tempering of society and with the stresses of danger we will often revert to our darker nature. The terror of Heart of Darkness isn't what the men find among the Africans in the Congo; it is the darkness they discover lurking within themselves, particularly in Kurtz. This darkness was there long before traveling to the Congo, hiding beneath the surface. The same darkness exists to varying extents within all of us, including the characters in Lord of the Flies.

Left to their own devices, the same darkness that we see in Conrad comes forward in Golding. The boys turn to savage tactics to survive and gain control of one another.

How and why did the United States become involved in the Vietnam War?

Cold War politics of the day caused the United States to intervene in Vietnam. Two similar theories of containing communism were proposed by politicians in the United States. These ideas suggested action in Vietnam was necessary. The domino theory stated that if one nation fell to communism, all of the ones around it would fall. It was first proposed by President Dwight Eisenhower in a speech. The state department had endorsed a policy of containment proposed by George Kennan. Kennan stated that the United States should ignore the countries that have already established communist governments and focus on stopping the spread of Marxism to new areas.

The failure of the French to contain the communist government of North Vietnam in the 1950s meant that the United States would have to intervene. The United States intervened in a number of ways in Vietnam, as early as 1950. This was the year that the United States commenced the delivery of military aid to the French. In 1955, military advisors were sent to Vietnam. This is considered by historians to be the official start of the Vietnam War. The United States would eventually utilize all branches of the armed forces in a full-scale attempt to prevent the fall of South Vietnam to communist forces of the North.

What historical example of panic does Thomas Paine cite in The Crisis?

Thomas Paine speaks of the panic that Britain was subjected to because of the exploits of Joan of Arc.  The Maid of Orleans, as she has been called, was a young peasant girl that organized an army to rebel against British rule in France in the 1420's.  She scored some early victories but was captured and burned at the stake by British forces.  Paine facetiously wonders if a maiden will arise from New Jersey to have similar success in the colonial struggle against Britain.  

Paine feels that a panic may offer advantages because they tend to fade fast, and in the end, the panic may create a firmer resolve.  He also feels that panic tends to reveal the true intentions of a man for all to see, like a ghost witnessing a murder.