Why do the women in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn insult their own food?

The answer to this question can be found at the beginning of Chapter 26, when Huck, with the Duke and the King, have entered the household of the Wilks, as the Duke and the King have impersonated the dead Peter Wilks in order to gain his inheritance and property. They have been successful in their first meeting and that night the Wilks girls cook them all a dinner:

Mary Jane she set at the head of the table, with Susan alongside of her, and said how bad the biscuits was, and how mean the preserves was, and how ornery and tough the fried chickens was - and all that kind of rot, the way women always do for to force out compliments; and the people all knowed everything was tiptop, and said so - said "How do you get biscuits to brown so nice?" and "Where, for the land's sake, did you get these amaz'n pickles?" and all that kind of humbug talky-talk, just the way people always does at a supper, you know.

Twain can be said here to be making light fun of Southern hospitality, and the conventions that dictate that the cook must insult their own food only to allow others to have the opportunity of praising it and saying how wonderful it is.

What is the history of Putman and Reverend Parris in The Crucible?

The history between Putnam and Parris is not told explicitly in the play, although the conversation between them as well as the comments of Giles Corey and John Procter in Act I scene I give us a view of their relationship.  Parris is a new minister in a town that has had several ministers in seven years.  He has met with much opposition from a sector of the church here as evidenced by Proctor's comments about the nature of his sermons.  Putnam has been Parris's supporter in these controversies.  He says :"..I have taken your part in all contention here, and I would continue, but I cannot if you hold back in this..."

Historically speaking, Miller is accurate in his portrayal of Putnam and Parris as associates.  The Putnams were a major family in Salem and were strong supporters of Parris.  Their support of Parris was a part of a social conflict between the Putnams and the Porters who wanted to force Parris out of town.  This social conflict was most likely a major cause of the witch hysteria that broke out in Salem.

What does Juliet look like in Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare?Where can I find descriptions in the play?

In Shakespeare's play, Romeo and
Juliet, the reader does know that Juliet is nearly fourteen, so she still has
an air of innocence and ingenuousness about her.  After all, her father, Lord Capulet
tells Paris to wait until she is fourteen to ask for her hand in
marriage:

Let
two more summers wither in their pride/Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride.
(I,ii,10-11)

Being from
Verona, Italy, she is probably of Norman descent and, therefore, is fair with light hair
(blonde, perhaps) and blue or green eyes.  (To this day, many northern Italians are of
this coloring.)

As the previous post mentions, the balcony
scene contains descriptions of Juliet that enable the reader to envision her.  Her eyes
must sparkle, for instance, for Romeo says that two stars twinkle in her eyes.  Her
cheeks are rosy and her skin glowing: "the brightness of her cheek would shame those
stars" (II,ii,20).  Even in death, Romeo finds Juliet "yet so fair" and "crimson in thy
lips and in thy cheeks" (V,iii,95).

Of course, Juliet is
reflected in the eyes of the amorous Romeo.  Yet, she must be beautiful in a tender way,
or else why would Romeo be so enraptured of her so soon after his heartache from
Rosalind?

What does Juliet look like in Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare?Where can I find descriptions in the play?

In Shakespeare's play, Romeo and Juliet, the reader does know that Juliet is nearly fourteen, so she still has an air of innocence and ingenuousness about her.  After all, her father, Lord Capulet tells Paris to wait until she is fourteen to ask for her hand in marriage:

Let two more summers wither in their pride/Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride. (I,ii,10-11)

Being from Verona, Italy, she is probably of Norman descent and, therefore, is fair with light hair (blonde, perhaps) and blue or green eyes.  (To this day, many northern Italians are of this coloring.)

As the previous post mentions, the balcony scene contains descriptions of Juliet that enable the reader to envision her.  Her eyes must sparkle, for instance, for Romeo says that two stars twinkle in her eyes.  Her cheeks are rosy and her skin glowing: "the brightness of her cheek would shame those stars" (II,ii,20).  Even in death, Romeo finds Juliet "yet so fair" and "crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks" (V,iii,95).

Of course, Juliet is reflected in the eyes of the amorous Romeo.  Yet, she must be beautiful in a tender way, or else why would Romeo be so enraptured of her so soon after his heartache from Rosalind?

In The Glass Menagerie, how do Tom and Jim differ in their goals and dreams?

In terms of goals and dreams, the two differ in
significant ways. Tom Wingfield is a dreamer, longing for a life of freedom and
adventure. He longs for a life that stands in direct opposition to the miserable life he
leads in St. Louis, supporting his mother and sister, working each day at a warehouse
job he detests. Tom has dreams, but they are vague; he formulates no specific goals to
achieve them. He simply wants out. When he finally breaks from his family, Tom just runs
away with no particular place to go.

Jim O'Connor also has
dreams, but his are expressed in terms of specific goals. Jim wants to succeed in a
career; he wants economic success. He believes in the future of broadcasting, the rise
of television. Jim prepares for his future, or tries to, by taking night classes in
public speaking. By working to achieve his dreams of material success, Jim pursues what
is generally considered to be the American Dream. 

In The Glass Menagerie, how do Tom and Jim differ in their goals and dreams?

In terms of goals and dreams, the two differ in significant ways. Tom Wingfield is a dreamer, longing for a life of freedom and adventure. He longs for a life that stands in direct opposition to the miserable life he leads in St. Louis, supporting his mother and sister, working each day at a warehouse job he detests. Tom has dreams, but they are vague; he formulates no specific goals to achieve them. He simply wants out. When he finally breaks from his family, Tom just runs away with no particular place to go.

Jim O'Connor also has dreams, but his are expressed in terms of specific goals. Jim wants to succeed in a career; he wants economic success. He believes in the future of broadcasting, the rise of television. Jim prepares for his future, or tries to, by taking night classes in public speaking. By working to achieve his dreams of material success, Jim pursues what is generally considered to be the American Dream. 

What does this quote mean: "I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend"?

When the creature has the audience of Victor in chapters 11-14, he attempts to justify his actions and explain life from his point of view.  He was born benevolent--he smiled at his "father" as Victor slept.  He was gentle and seeking love as a toddler would.  He was in need of acceptance, guidance, love, and a proper parent.  What he received was a irresponsible creator who abandoned him at the first moment Victor was able. 

The creature left the apartment and sought to survive.  He attempted to assimilate himself into society which spurned him. He was beaten, cursed, and chased out of communities.  He was forced to live in isolation, coming out only at night and living on berries and bark.  He learned to read in the hovel of the De Lacey family, and at that point discovered from the manuscript and journals of Victor how he came to be made and abandoned.

After the De Laceys also run from him, the creature desires revenge on Victor.  So, as the quote states, "I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend." 

In "To Room Nineteen," why and how is Susan isolated from the world and the people around her?

In Doris Lessing's "Room Nineteen," our protagonist, Susan is isolated from the people and the world around her.

Susan's marriage to Matthew has not been a strong one.  By all outward appearances, they are a perfect couple, but things beneath the surface are not good.  The marriage is stale, and Matthew has been cheating.  Lacking the moral support of her husband is one form of isolation for Susan.  She has no close friends to confide in, and must shoulder the problem alone; it is also expected at this time that people do not publicly air their dirty laundry, so from the outside, it must continue to appear the perfect marriage: this is what society expects.

Susan is also isolated by her own actions.  Instead of demanding that her husband leave, or at least promise to be faithful, the two determine that they will forget about this "indiscretion," and pretend as if it never happened. Of course, this is fine to say, but Matthew does not remain faithful.  And Susan really has no recourse, once again trapped to accept her lot in life.

Susan is isolated because society had not raised its daughters to have a sense of self.  There were no strong female role models or leaders to pose questions to women that would challenge the male-dominated society of the United States at that time.

Susan is lost in an unhappy marriage; she does set aside time for herself in an attempt to find out who she is aside from being a wife and mother who is unnoticed and unappreciated--but in her isolation, she has no idea how to do this.  Although many women of the time period doubtlessly experienced verbal, mental, physical, or emotional abuse, there were no agencies to protect them; Susan has no way to know what she must do in order to develop her own identity, and this further isolates her.

Of course, during the 1960s (when the story is set), prior to the sexual revolution, a woman had few options outside of being a housewife, and little chance of survival if she struck out on her own, especially if she tried to take her children with her. So if Susan had chosen to leave her husband, society would have done little--if anything--to support her.

When Matthew discovers that she has taken a room where she goes up to five days a week (while the housekeeper and nanny care for the house and children), he assumes that she is also having an affair.  Unsure what to say, she admits to it, though she is seeing no one.  Matthew is relieved and suggests that both couples get together to "talk things over." Susan makes an excuse that her "lover" is out of town and goes to her rented room, number 19.

At this point, Susan is completely lost, feeling abandoned and trapped; without a sense of self, and no hope of support from the society that dictates the accepted mores of the time, she takes the only way out that she can see: she simply turns on the gas in the little room, and "goes to sleep."

What are three of Gatsby's dreams in "The Great Gatsby"?

Gatsby's most obvious dream is to recapture the heart of Daisy after he lost her so many years ago. He also dreams about turning back time, recapturing the past, and going back to their dreamlike courtship when they were younger. For a while, Gatsby seems to come within reach of this dream.

In a larger sense, however, the novel is about the emptiness of the American Dream that says wealth and success are within anyone's reach, regardless of their social status at birth. Gatsby is a man of self-made wealth, but his achievement does not allow him to reach Daisy. She stays with her husband, who comes from an established family of enormous wealth.

What is the significance of Clarissa's party in Mrs. Dalloway?

It is the assembly of the party where much of Clarissa's
energies are focused.  On many levels this holds significance.  The focus of Clarissa's
drive on the party helps to dislodge other, more substantive questions about the nature
of her being.  Her choices in life, the selection of Richard over Peter, as well as the
basis of her identity and how mortality plays a role in this can all be put to the side
if there is a party that needs to be assembled.  In this light, one can see Clarissa's
desire to put together the party as an attempt to stave off these more fundamental and
painful questions of consciousness in place of something more trivial and more light in
nature.

What is the significance of Clarissa's party in Mrs. Dalloway?

It is the assembly of the party where much of Clarissa's energies are focused.  On many levels this holds significance.  The focus of Clarissa's drive on the party helps to dislodge other, more substantive questions about the nature of her being.  Her choices in life, the selection of Richard over Peter, as well as the basis of her identity and how mortality plays a role in this can all be put to the side if there is a party that needs to be assembled.  In this light, one can see Clarissa's desire to put together the party as an attempt to stave off these more fundamental and painful questions of consciousness in place of something more trivial and more light in nature.

What is the oral tradition of Wiliam Faulkner's "That Evening Sun"?

The title of William Faulkner's short story "That Evening Sun" is a reference to a black spiritual.  The first line of the song is "Lord, how I hate to see that evening sun go down."  The history of black spirituals is rooted in the oral tradition of slavery--slaves often sang songs infused with metaphors and symbols while they worked on plantations so that their masters would not be privy to their communication.  In the aforementioned spiritual, the evening sun refers to death.  At the end of Faulkner's story, it is clear that Jesus is lurking somewhere outside Nancy's house waiting to kill her at some point during the night.  So, Nancy fears that her own "sun" might set before she is able to see the next dawn.

In "The Adventures of the Speckled Band," how does the following quote show that Holmes was wary? "I should be very much obliged if you would...

After Helen Stoner's long interview with Sherlock Holmes, her stepfather Dr. Grimesby Roylott bursts into Holmes and Watson's sitting room and shows himself to be a powerful and dangerous man. He tells Holmes:

“I will go when I have said my say. Don't you dare to meddle with my affairs. I know that Miss Stoner has been here. I traced her! I am a dangerous man to fall foul of! See here.” He stepped swiftly forward, seized the poker, and bent it into a curve with his huge brown hands.

Holmes fully intends to go to Stoke Moran to inspect the premises in person, and Dr. Watson volunteers to accompany him. As they are preparing to leave for the train station, Holmes tells Watson:

I should be very much obliged if you would slip your revolver into your pocket. An Eley's No. 2 is an excellent argument with gentlemen who can twist steel pokers into knots. 

This strongly suggests the possibility that they might run into Dr. Roylott inside his home. In that case Roylott could be very dangerous. No doubt he would feel justified in shooting both intruders. A man like Roylott would certainly have more than one gun available. His most likely weapon would be a shotgun.

The author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, wanted to make the inspection of the rooms at Stoke Moran dramatic by adding the element of danger to the visit. Fortunately, Dr. Roylott stays in London during the time that Holmes and Watson travel to Stoke Moran. But there is an atmosphere of danger during the whole time that Holmes is carefully inspecting the exterior and interior of the decaying mansion. They never see Roylott alive again. The only time they see him after his stormy visit to Baker Street is after he has been bitten by his own snake.

Beside this table, on the wooden chair, sat Dr. Grimesby Roylott clad in a long grey dressing-gown, his bare ankles protruding beneath, and his feet thrust into red heelless Turkish slippers. Across his lap lay the short stock with the long lash which we had noticed during the day. His chin was cocked upward and his eyes were fixed in a dreadful, rigid stare at the corner of the ceiling. Round his brow he had a peculiar yellow band, with brownish speckles, which seemed to be bound tightly round his head. 

Sherlock Holmes will occasionally ask Dr. Watson to bring along his pistol in other stories when they are going on a mission that could be dangerous. However, Conan Doyle always leaves the physical action to his hero Sherlock Holmes, and Watson never has occasion to fire his gun. For example, at Holmes' request Watson brings his pistol to the bank storeroom in "The Adventure of the Red-Headed League" because they will be dealing with John Clay, a very dangerous criminal. But it is noteworthy that it is Holmes who disarms Clay with his hunting crop when Clay tries to use his pistol. In "The Adventure of the Speckled Band," it is Holmes who beats the snake with his cane and causes it to retreat back up the bell-rope and through the ventilator.

Who is the narrator of the novel?

The narrator is the author. He is a close friend of Nasar
and in this he retells the events that led to Nasar's death. In the end it is not told
if Nasar was the killer, but he provides detail of every little thing and while he
believes Nasar is not the one at fault, the details that slowly unravel the tale lead to
a very interesting book and story. In the end, we understand how no one did anything to
save his life, yet others feel the guilt of Nasar all around the town and it cannot be
washed away no matter how hard anyone scrubs. 

Who is the narrator of the novel?

The narrator is the author. He is a close friend of Nasar and in this he retells the events that led to Nasar's death. In the end it is not told if Nasar was the killer, but he provides detail of every little thing and while he believes Nasar is not the one at fault, the details that slowly unravel the tale lead to a very interesting book and story. In the end, we understand how no one did anything to save his life, yet others feel the guilt of Nasar all around the town and it cannot be washed away no matter how hard anyone scrubs. 

What does "The Scarlet Ibis" symbolize? How does the bird actually symbolize Doodle?

There is a great deal of symbolism associated with the color red and the scarlet ibis itself. The symbolism often suggests death of beauty, blood, and dying. Some symbolic representations of the color red are the scarlet ibis, the bleeding tree, the bush beneath which Doodle dies, and when Doodle is born his body is described as “red.” In this story the scarlet ibis is a symbol for the narrator’s brother. Both Doodle and the ibis die as a result of their inability to cope with the world. An ibis can live only in its natural habitat; when it finds itself far from home, it cannot survive. The ibis in the story has been forced from its natural surroundings, eventually finding its way to a tree outside the narrator’s home. The ibis dies, too weak to survive. Like the ibis, the narrator’s brother, Doodle, is special and too weak to survive. By using the ibis as a symbol, the author emphasizes Doodle’s uniqueness and shows how this quality is also what challenges him. Like the ibis, Doodle dies because he is not suited to his surroundings. The ibis as a symbol for Doodle reminds us that rare beauty is all too often fragile.

Why did Romeo kill Tybalt in Act 3? Is it because of Romeo's character?How does Tybalt's death change the action of the play.

Concerning Shakespeare's Romeo and
Juliet, in short, Romeo kills Tybalt because Tybalt kills Mercutio.  Of
course, it isn't really that simple.

Romeo, newly in love
with Juliet--a member of the hated enemy, the family that Romeo's family constantly
feuds with--wants now to make peace.  While doing so, he gets in the way of Mercutio and
Tybalt while they are fighting.  The two are partly serious and partly playing around,
but the game is dangerous, since the game is sword
fighting. 

In getting between the two fighters, Romeo
inadvertantly causes Mercutio not to be able to react to a thrust by Tybalt, and the
thrust mortally wounds Mercutio. 

Romeo becomes angry and
loses control and kills Tybalt out of revenge.  At the same time, Romeo is probably
lashing out at Tybalt due to his own guilt for having contributed to Mercutio's
death. 

Why did Romeo kill Tybalt in Act 3? Is it because of Romeo's character?How does Tybalt's death change the action of the play.

Concerning Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, in short, Romeo kills Tybalt because Tybalt kills Mercutio.  Of course, it isn't really that simple.

Romeo, newly in love with Juliet--a member of the hated enemy, the family that Romeo's family constantly feuds with--wants now to make peace.  While doing so, he gets in the way of Mercutio and Tybalt while they are fighting.  The two are partly serious and partly playing around, but the game is dangerous, since the game is sword fighting. 

In getting between the two fighters, Romeo inadvertantly causes Mercutio not to be able to react to a thrust by Tybalt, and the thrust mortally wounds Mercutio. 

Romeo becomes angry and loses control and kills Tybalt out of revenge.  At the same time, Romeo is probably lashing out at Tybalt due to his own guilt for having contributed to Mercutio's death. 

Does banning the import of genetically modified goods in countries violate the spirit of free trade and should the US be labeling it?

I think whether the banning of genetically modified goods
violates the spirit of free trade truly depends on the motives behind the
ban.

We would never, for example, say that banning the
importation of marijuana from some country where it was legal violated the spirit of
free trade.  So if the people of a country truly feel that genetically modified foods
are dangerous, they should be able to ban their import.  (They probably should ban them
domestically as well, I'd say.)

However, countries often
use issues like this as a "fig leaf" for protectionism.  This can be seen when countries
ban our beef, for example, because of alleged fears of BSE.  You also hear accusations
that our talk of limiting imports from countries with poor working conditions, for
example, is a fig leaf like that.

So I think it really
depends on why the ban is being imposed.

Does banning the import of genetically modified goods in countries violate the spirit of free trade and should the US be labeling it?

I think whether the banning of genetically modified goods violates the spirit of free trade truly depends on the motives behind the ban.

We would never, for example, say that banning the importation of marijuana from some country where it was legal violated the spirit of free trade.  So if the people of a country truly feel that genetically modified foods are dangerous, they should be able to ban their import.  (They probably should ban them domestically as well, I'd say.)

However, countries often use issues like this as a "fig leaf" for protectionism.  This can be seen when countries ban our beef, for example, because of alleged fears of BSE.  You also hear accusations that our talk of limiting imports from countries with poor working conditions, for example, is a fig leaf like that.

So I think it really depends on why the ban is being imposed.

What is the change of affairs when Piggy's glasses are broken in Lord of the Flies? Why use the glasses to signal this? Why not with the conch?

The breaking of Piggy's glasses indicates a loss of control.  The boys are losing control of their humanity and their civilization and becoming more like savages.  It is important that Piggy's glasses break in the chapter titled "Painted Faces and Long Hair".  These things represent a rejection of social standards, which is further emphasized in the violent killing of the pig.  This degeneration towards savagery will lead to anarchy, murder and chaos on this island. 

Piggy's glasses, and not the conch, represent civilization and standards of behavior.  Glasses are associated with learning and reading, which are pillars of society.  Also, on the island, the glasses are needed for the fire, which is the first step towards controlling the environment and not being controlled by it.  The conch could not signify this shift towards savagery because it only represents power and control.  Even the most wild of animal communities have heirarchies of power.  It is the careful and reasoned management of power that leads a community towards the accepted definition of "civilized".

In "Lord of the Flies," what is Simon's family history?

I don't believe we're ever given Simon's exact family history, but I think there are certainly some family life things we can infer from the actions of his character.  I think we can safely assume that Simon is an older brother to multiple siblings at home, he is given large amounts of responsibility in watching those siblings,  and he is subject to some form of strong authority at home, either a parent or some other caretaker.

 These may seem like contradictory statements, but let's look at how Simon acts in the novel.  He is, by far, the most helpful boy on the island.  Whenever someone needs help, he is the first to give it.  Simon helps Ralph build the shelters, gives Piggy his glasses back when Jack takes them away, gives Piggy meat at the first feast when Jack denies it, grabs fruit for the littleuns when they can't reach it, and provides moral support when Ralph starts questioning his own motives.

Simon is also one of the more brave characters on the island which may indicate his natural instinct to protect those around him.  He has no problems standing up to Jack to when he feels Jack is wronging someone (particularily Piggy), and makes multiple trips through the jungle by himself, an action that should frighten any twelve year old.

Aside from all of this, though, Simon shows a tendency to heed any direction from authority figures, in this case Ralph and Jack, something that suggests his protection and supervision of...

What was the acting troupe that Shakespeare was in?

The answer to this seemingly simple question is actually quite complicated. It begins with Queen Elizabeth I and the Queen's Men and ends with King James I and the King's Men. The simple and most popular answer is: The troupe of actors that Shakespeare is associated with, as both an actor and a playwright, is the Lord Chamberlain's Men.

The Full Story

The full story involves acting troupes that have name changes when (1) the noble or royal patrons of the troupes undergo changes to their titles or when (2) troupes reorganize under different noble or royal patronage [patronage: support and financial gifts from wealthy patrons to participants in the arts]. It starts, as I said, with Queen Elizabeth I.

Queen Elizabeth I organized the first licensed acting troupe in 1583; it was licensed under her new licensing law and was called the Queen's Men, since all actors then were men.

1. Pembroke's Men: Before 1592, which is the year theatres in London closed because of an outbreak of plague (a contagious disease that has to be contained by restricting gatherings, just as the US restricted gatherings in 2009 when there was an outbreak of H1N1 swine flu), Shakespeare is said to have been both an actor and a playwright for Pembroke's Men, sponsored by their patron Lord Pembroke, Henry Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, and organized under his patronage in 1591-92. The troupe was disbanned in 1592 because of the plague.

2. Lord Strange's Men / Derby's Men: It is probable that Shakespeare joined Lord Strange's Men, of Ferdinando Stanley, Lord Strange (pronounced strang), and performed with them at Rose Theatre (not closed by edict of the Queen) until 1593. Strange's Men were the first to perform Shakespeare's Richard III and Henry VI Part 2. It is also thought probable that Shakespeare used this period of time to focus on his poetry, publishing his first poetic work, Venus and Adonis, in 1593. Also in 1593, Lord Strange inherited his father's title and became 5th Earl of Derby, whereupon his acting troupe came to be called Derby's Men.

3. Lord Chamberlain's Men: Derby had hoped to become regional Chamberlain of Chester but, when Thomas Egerton was instead made Chamberlain of Chester in 1593, the year before theatres in London were reopened, Derby's acting troupe, Derby's Men, was reorganized, meaning some actors went to a different acting troupe, specifically, to Lord Hunsdon's--Lord Chamberlain of the Queen's Court--acting troupe (the Court of Elizabeth appointed more than one Chamberlain, with appointees at the regional level, e.g., Chamberlain of Chester, and at the London Court level, i.e. Lord Chamberlain (Hunsdon)).

Lord Hunsdon's acting troupe, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, was reorganized when Shakespeare moved his allegiance from the disappointed Earl of Derby's (Lord Strange's) Derby's Men to Lord Hunsdon's Lord Chamberlain’s Men, sponsored by their patron Henry Carey, 1st Lord Hunsdon and Lord Chamberlain.

4. Lord Hunsdon's Men: Upon the death of Henry Carey Lord Hunsdon in 1596, patronage of the Lord Chamberlain's Men moved to his son, George Carey, 2nd Lord Hunsdon (he did not inherit his father's position as Lord Chamberlain), and the players were called by their previous title of 1585, Lord Hunsdon's Men.

5. Lord Chamberlain's Men: Another twist places Shakespeare back with the Lord Chamberlain's Men when George, 2nd Lord Hunsdon, was himself appointed by Elizabeth I to the post of Lord Chamberlain in 1597, at which time Hunsdon's Men were accordingly renamed (again) the Lord Chamberlain's Men.

6. The King's Men: When King James I of England, and VI of Scotland, ascended to the English throne in 1603, by the issuance of royal letters patent (a legal document issued by a monarch, similar to a proclamation issued by a president), he assumed the patronage of the Lord Chamberlain's Men who then became the King's Men.

In "A Rose for Emily," what are the similarities between Richard Cory and Emily Grierson?

Both Richard Cory and Emily Grierson were thought of as part of a higher social class than most. They both seem to be the subject of much gossip around their towns, Yet both of them were misunderstood and lonely. Richard Cory was seen as having been "admirably schooled in every grace". Everyone thought he was happy and wished they were in his place. But no one really seems to understand the real Richard Cory. Although he said "good morning" and "glittered when he walked", nothing else he said or did is recorded. People knew only the outward facade of the man so they were shocked at his suicide. Similarly, Emily is thought of as respectable and is such a high social position that no one ever really approaches her. However, everyone watches her, as they watched Richard Cory and she seems to be the focus of much town gossip. Unfortunately, no one really knows Emily and after he father dies, the only human contact she seems to have is with Toby. Even he deserts her as soon as she dies. Thus, the town is just as shocked as Cory's town,to see what Emily did to cope with her loneliness.

"Beauty is truth...and all you need to know". Explain how Keats arrives at this conclusion in the poem.

The sententious statement attributed to the urn at the close of the poem is similar to a remark made by Keats in his Letters: 'What the Imagination seizes as Beauty must be truth', and the idea of the interdependence of Beauty, Truth and Imagination is something that figures repeatedly in Keats. In 'Grecian Urn', Keats arrives at the statement through the series of paradoxes of eternity and transience that he develops throughout the poem. Yet, far from being an unequivocal conclusion that resolves all the paradoxes, the closing statement creates whole new questions.

We cannot be certain, for example, on who is saying what to whom. The speech marks that enclose the Urn's statement have been placed variously by different editors. To see the alternatives, you need to look closely at the last three lines. In some versions, the inverted commas enclose just 'Beauty is truth, truth beauty'. So the possibilities are:

1 - The Urn 'speaks' the statement about Beauty and Truth; and 'that is all..' is spoken by Keats to the reader;

2 - The last two lines complete are spoken by the Urn to humankind;

3 - The last three lines complete are spoken by Keats to the Urn.

It's dizzying, but wonderful, and it makes a real difference to the way we respond to the poem, and the idea of Beauty embodied in the Urn. In the end, it seems that the Urn is beautiful, but reminds us simultaneously that true Beauty is not frozen and eternal, but subject to Time and Change.

At what time of year does Gene return to Devon to visit?What atmosphere, or mood, is created by setting the story during this season? What do...

You are of course referring to the beginning of this book.
Soon after deciding to return to Devon to see two sites in particular, both which the
narrator describes as "fearful", we are given the answer to this
question:

It
was a raw, non-descript time of year, toward the end of November, the kind of wet,
self-pitying November day when every speck of dirt stands out clearly. Devon luckily had
very little of such weather - the icy clamp of winter, or the radiant New Hampshire
summers, were more characteristic of it - but this day it blew wet, moody gusts all
around me.

Note too how later
on the narrator describes the houses he walks past on Gilman Street, "the best street in
town":

Today
with their failing ivy and stripped, moaning trees the houses looked both more elegant
and more lifeless than
ever.

You have asked a very
good question, and it is worth considering the significance of the seasons in the main
novel itself, but for now, consider the following points. The setting in November with
the weather that is detailed provides the perfect environment for Gene to indulge in
nostalgic and upsetting thoughts of his actions during his time in Devon. We can tell
they are not going to be all pleasant - the "wet, moody gusts" and the "self-pitying"
day suggest that the narrator will be re-living upsetting memories and experiences. The
reference to every speck of dirt standing out clearly suggests a very introspective and
reflective mood, where past memories are hauled into the present and examined and
scrutinised. What is interesting in the description of the trees is that they are
"stripped" and "moaning" - I wonder, could they be a symbol of life for Gene after Devon
- appearing more "elegant" but really more "lifeless" than ever before? Whatever the
case, this setting stages the flashback that is to follow and takes up the majority of
the rest of the story. It is a kind of pathetic fallacy that reveals the narrator's
emotions and feelings, which are eerily mirrored by the weather.

At what time of year does Gene return to Devon to visit?What atmosphere, or mood, is created by setting the story during this season? What do...

You are of course referring to the beginning of this book. Soon after deciding to return to Devon to see two sites in particular, both which the narrator describes as "fearful", we are given the answer to this question:

It was a raw, non-descript time of year, toward the end of November, the kind of wet, self-pitying November day when every speck of dirt stands out clearly. Devon luckily had very little of such weather - the icy clamp of winter, or the radiant New Hampshire summers, were more characteristic of it - but this day it blew wet, moody gusts all around me.

Note too how later on the narrator describes the houses he walks past on Gilman Street, "the best street in town":

Today with their failing ivy and stripped, moaning trees the houses looked both more elegant and more lifeless than ever.

You have asked a very good question, and it is worth considering the significance of the seasons in the main novel itself, but for now, consider the following points. The setting in November with the weather that is detailed provides the perfect environment for Gene to indulge in nostalgic and upsetting thoughts of his actions during his time in Devon. We can tell they are not going to be all pleasant - the "wet, moody gusts" and the "self-pitying" day suggest that the narrator will be re-living upsetting memories and experiences. The reference to every speck of dirt standing out clearly suggests a very introspective and reflective mood, where past memories are hauled into the present and examined and scrutinised. What is interesting in the description of the trees is that they are "stripped" and "moaning" - I wonder, could they be a symbol of life for Gene after Devon - appearing more "elegant" but really more "lifeless" than ever before? Whatever the case, this setting stages the flashback that is to follow and takes up the majority of the rest of the story. It is a kind of pathetic fallacy that reveals the narrator's emotions and feelings, which are eerily mirrored by the weather.

Describe Clarisse's effect on Montag and her function in "Fahrenheit 451."

Clarisse's main role in the novel is to function in the role of innocence, both in mind and in action.  She is such an anomaly to Montag in her mannerisms and her way of asking him questions that no one else will ask that she does, as the previous post pointed out, help break him out of his reverie and begin to question the society around him and its effects.

The fact that her entire family seems to be so different than the rest of the world in which they live is also important.  Her family likes to sit around and talk to each other and Montag wonders why he doesn't do that with his "family."  All of these play an important role in waking him up.

What does the main character of "To Build a Fire" think and feel? Are the character's behaviors similar or different?

The main character's feelings are revealed through the third-person narrator.  Through the narrator's description of the main character's actions, etc., the reader learns about his feelings.  The main character was not well prepared for his journey; he did not dress warmly enough, he did not pack appropriate supplies in case something happened, and he did not pack enough food to eat.  These were some of his biggest mistakes.  Others included building a fire underneath a snow-covered tree and taking his gloves off, for example.  Perhaps his biggest mistake was not letting the dog's instincts lead them both back to camp.  The man insisted the dog obey him despite the dog showing signs of not wanting to do so.  Had he simply followed the dog, he would've been able to save his own life because the dog knew where camp was.  Instead, he ends up dead because of his own ignorance.  In the beginning, he was very calm and was not worried about not making it back to camp.  He was overconfident in his ability to make it there.  As time passes and he realizes he is lost, his feelings change to ones of worry and fret.  By the end, he is in full panic mode and in a last ditch effort, attempts to grab the dog to kill it in order to try to gut it and warm his hands.  When he fails to do this and the dog escapes his grasp, he realizes that he is going to die; his mind has begun to leave him and he gets very sleep and warm, which is a sign of dangerously bad hypothermia. 

In The Outsiders, what does Ponyboy mean when he says Soda "reminds me of a colt"?

I swear, sometimes he reminds me of a colt.

The above quote comes from chapter 7. The chapter starts off in the hospital, because Johnny and Dally are there in order to get their injuries from the fire taken care of. Reporters are all over the place trying to get the scoop on the story of a Greaser gang rescuing children from a burning church. Soda is loving every minute of the attention. He's showing off to the reporters and really strutting about in an attempt to soak up all of the limelight.

Ponyboy compares Soda to a colt, which is a young horse. Pony believes that a colt does the same thing as Soda is doing. They both try to get all of the attention that they can.

A long-legged palomino colt that has to get his nose into everything. The reporters stared at him admiringly.

Keep in mind that Soda is movie star handsome. Add that to his infectious energy, and people can't take their eyes off of him. That's what a young, beautiful horse does to people. You can't take your eyes off of such a pretty, majestic, and energetic animal.

Who inhabit the Fields of Mourning in Virgil's "Aeneid"?

Those individuals who have died because of love inhabit the Fields of Mourning.

Dido, who fell in love with Aeneas and killed herself when he left her to countinue on his journey lives there, as do Procris, Eriphyle, Pasiphae, Paedra, Laodamia, Evadne, and Caeneus.  Each of these characters suffer eternally from love unrequited or otherwise gone wrong.  Eriphyle's torment is caused by her son, while Pasiphae and Phaedra were an incestuous couple.  Caeneus was a woman first, and then a man, and then a woman again when she died.

In Chapter 15, why is Scout's statement, "...but you said...that you all'd ride it out together..." so powerful?

Scout is able to make Mr. Cunningham stand in Atticus's shoes for one moment.  By stating the line you listed in your question, Scout forces Mr. Cunningham to remember what Atticus did for him.  He is also forced to see Atticus as a man, and one who helped him out of a difficult situation, as well as a father, like Cunningham himself.  Atticus has become a person rather than just someone standing in the mob's way of a lynching.

This causes Cunningham to feel empathy and compassion for Atticus.  After all, Atticus is simply doing for Tom Robinson the same thing he did for Mr. Cunningham.  It is this realization that causes the tension to diffuse and Mr. Cunningham dismisses the mob.

Finally, this is an important point in the novel because it helps reinforce what Atticus has always been telling his kids - to crawl inside someone else's skin before judging them.  Scout offers Mr. Cunningham a glimpse through Atticus's perspective and that makes all the difference.

Are there any references to the sources for Macbeth?I'd like to know what influenced Shakespeare in writing the play - was he thinking about any...

As ever in Shakespeare plays, there are a complex web of sources for Macbeth, which are constantly being examined and argued about by scholars. 

The basic historical plot and many individual details come from the "Chronicles" of Raphael Holinshed, though Shakespeare fuses two events (Donwald's murder of King Duff and Macbeth's usurpation of the throne) which are seventy years apart together to make up the plotline of his play. 

James IV of Scotland, who had recently been crowned James I of England (which is why Macbeth is a Jacobean and not an Elizabethan play - James, not Elizabeth, is the reigning monarch) is clearly also a huge influence on the play, and perhaps even its first audience. 

The final, apparently unfulfilled prophecy of the witches, that Banquo's children will become kings, points to James himself, the current king, and supposed historically to be a descendant of the historical Banquo. Thus, we might suggest, James himself is almost a character within the play (much as Elizabeth I is thought to be referenced in one of Oberon's speeches in A Midsummer Night's Dream as the "imperial votaress"). 

Yet in a more general sense, James I is perhaps the play's biggest influence, as its dark world of witches, strangled babies and ravens owes much to James' obsession with all things occult and dark (he even wrote a book about witchcraft himself, titled Daemonologie).

In Beowulf, how do the Danes feel about Beowulf after his battle with Grendel?

As you can imagine, the Danes are thrilled. Crowds gather to view the battle scene and look at Grendel's bloody path. Hrothgar offers Beowulf any reward he wants. The Danes hold a huge celebration feast where they give Beowulf many valuable gifts. Unfortunately, they don't realize that Grendel has a mother who is still living and now is furious at both the Danes and Beowulf for killing her son.

What made Oedipus go to the oracle when he was young?

In Act II, Oedipus relates how, when he was young, he had heard rumors at a banquet that he was not really the son of the King and Queen of Corinth, so he went to the oracle at Delphi to ask for clarification.  It was there that the oracle told Oedipus that he was fated to kill his father and to marry his mother.  Horrified, Oedipus forgot about the rumors that claimed he wasn't the Corinthian king's son, and he left town so as to avoid fulfilling the prophecy.  Ironically, when he ran away, Oedipus ran into his real father, Laios, on the road, had an altercation with him, and killed him...all the while not knowing the man's identity.  This was the beginning of the fulfillment of the oracle's prophecy.

What are the characteristics of society?

Though it is a bit difficult to answer the question in its
rather vague form, the nature of the society present in "Pen, Sword and Camisole" is one
of the more celebrated aspects of the story.

The society is
filled with intrigue and trickery and politicking, as part of the point of the book
appears to be poking fun at those aspects of Brazilian society at the time.  The
characters appear to be rather absorbed in the politics surrounding the appointment to
the academy's "seat," at the expense of any other part of their
lives.

The book also suggests a few things about the nature
of those involved as the opposition's first candidate, Moreira, becomes insufferable
even before the first round of machinations is completed.  The supporters quickly find a
new person to support and set about opposing the man they've just set up in the same
unscrupulous matter as before.

The society is also
generally characterized as optimistic, full of live and verve, and wonderfully
unscrupulous.

What are the characteristics of society?

Though it is a bit difficult to answer the question in its rather vague form, the nature of the society present in "Pen, Sword and Camisole" is one of the more celebrated aspects of the story.

The society is filled with intrigue and trickery and politicking, as part of the point of the book appears to be poking fun at those aspects of Brazilian society at the time.  The characters appear to be rather absorbed in the politics surrounding the appointment to the academy's "seat," at the expense of any other part of their lives.

The book also suggests a few things about the nature of those involved as the opposition's first candidate, Moreira, becomes insufferable even before the first round of machinations is completed.  The supporters quickly find a new person to support and set about opposing the man they've just set up in the same unscrupulous matter as before.

The society is also generally characterized as optimistic, full of live and verve, and wonderfully unscrupulous.

How would you explain Thoreau's reasons for leaving Walden Pond?

Thoreau basically says that he came to the pond for certain reasons and now they are satisfied, and so is he.  His job there was done.  There were other things to do, and so he left. 

Specifically, he quotes, "I left the woods for as good a reason as I went there.  Perhaps it seemed to me that I had several more lives to live, and could not spare any more time for that one.  It is remarkable how easily and insensibly we fall into a particular route, and make a beaten track for ourselves."  He did not want living in the woods to become a mere habit, and felt there were other goals in life he was to pursue and achieve.

He has realized his dreams, and at the conclusion of Walden, he suggests that readers, rather than pursue success, should go their own ways at their own pace and love their lives no matter how humble those lives may be.

In what ways is Othello shown to be a person of extraordinary quality in Acts I and II?

Othello shows himself to be a stellar man and general through the manner in which he is regarded in Venice and his eloquent speech as he addresses the Senate in Act. I.  Othello, in his story of "the course of love" used to woo Desdemona, discusses the near death experiences, feats of broil and battle, the strange men he has encountered, escaped from, and defeated in battle ("the anthropophagai, and men whose heads do grow beneath their shoulders" ).  These experiences set him apart from other Venetians, and give them a confidence in his abilities that transcends race, which would have been a factor in giving a Moor a position of power.  The Turks, or moors, would have been Venetian enemies at this time.

As Brabantio accuses Othello of witchcraft in an attempt to dismiss the marriage of Othello to Desdemona, he is shown to be a fool who does not know his own child.  Othello humbles himself to his audience in a use of ethos that is unparalleled in literature.  He opens saying, "rude am I in speech" and proceeds to tell a tale that would woo even the most hardened woman.  No man in the room even attempts to question this marriage between a Venetian noble woman and a Moor.  Othello clearly commands the respect of all who know him.

To what is the Doctor referring when he tells Marlow,"The changes take place inside, you know"?

This statement is part of Conrad's backlash against Enlightenment thinking.  Proponents of the ideology believed all  questions could be eventually be answered by science; Conrad casts some serious doubts on the theory throughout his novel. 

Here, the doctor is measuring Marlow's skull, using a now-discredited practiced known as phrenology.  Phrenologists postulated that they could tell a person's propensity for violence, passion, reason, etc., from the bumps and shape of one's head.  This is the "outward" purpose of the exam.  Internally, Marlow will be going through psychological changes that can never be measured scientifically.  Here is the verbiage from this particular exchange.  Marlow has just agreed to the examination. 

Doctor:  Don't be alarmed..these calipers here measure your dimensions back and front and..and every way.. one hundred and thirty centimetres..I always ask leave, in the interests of science, to measure the crania of those going out there...

Marlow: And when they come back, too?

Doctor: Oh, I never see them...and, moreover, the changes take place inside, you know.  Two hundred and forty..So! You are going out there. Famous. Interesting, too. One hundred and seven point five.....Ever any madness in your family?

Marlow: Is that question in the interests of science, too?

Are there any forms of irony in chapters 1 and 2 of "The Great Gatsby"?

There are several, but here are a few of the more obvious ones:

Nick says that Gatsby embodies everything he dislikes, but then goes on to say how much he admires Gatsby.

Daisy and Tom seem to "have it all" yet Nick can sense Daisy is unhappy.

Daisy hopes that her female child would be born a fool.

Daisy knows that her husband is having an affair, but no one will say anything about it.

Gatsby is the central man in this novel (it's named after him), and his is barely in the first two chapters.

Myrtle's impulsiveness seems to entice Tom, yet, he punches her in the nose when she impulsively chants Daisy's name.

Nick seems more alert and interested at the subdued dinner party than at the wild party with Myrtle at the apartment.

Why did the Soviet War in Afghanistan happen, Who was all involved, What was the outcome?

Afghanistan was ruled by king Nadir till 1931 when he
adopted a new constitution and began a program of reforms. But he was assassinated in
1933, and his son Muhammad Zahir became king.

In 1953,
Muhammad Daoud Khan, became prime minister of Afghanistan.  Under him, Afghanistan
remained neutral in the cold war. Due to internal politics he was forced to resign in
1963. in 1964, Afghanistan adopted a constitution with a democratic government.  But
King Zahir and the legislature could not agree on a reform programme.  and, a democratic
system failed to develop.

In 1973, Daoud led a military
revolt overthrowing King Zahir.  and established the Republic of Afghanistan with
himself as president and prime minister.  In 1978, rival left-wing military leaders and
civilians staged a revolt in which Daoud was killed. This group, aided by the Soviet
Union, took control of the government and introduced communistic policies.  Many people
of Afghanistan opposed the new government, believing that government policies conflicted
with teachings of Islam. Large numbers of people joined in a rebellion against the
government and a widespread fighting broke out between the rebels and government
forces.

In this internal conflict Soviet Union supported
the government with communist leanings and in late 1979 and early 1980, sent thousands
of troops.  to Afghanistan to support the government against the fight with rebels. 
This  resulted in a lengthy conflict between Soviet troops and Afghan rebels. However,
the government failed to achieve a decisive victory  In 1988, the Soviet Union began
withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan. completing it in February
1989.

But the fighting between the mujaheddin and the
government forces continued until April 1992, when the rebels overthrew the government. 
Following the overthrow, several factions of the rebels agreed to set up a transitional
government.  However, fighting continued in the country as the different factions
competed for power.

Why did the Soviet War in Afghanistan happen, Who was all involved, What was the outcome?

Afghanistan was ruled by king Nadir till 1931 when he adopted a new constitution and began a program of reforms. But he was assassinated in 1933, and his son Muhammad Zahir became king.

In 1953, Muhammad Daoud Khan, became prime minister of Afghanistan.  Under him, Afghanistan remained neutral in the cold war. Due to internal politics he was forced to resign in 1963. in 1964, Afghanistan adopted a constitution with a democratic government.  But King Zahir and the legislature could not agree on a reform programme.  and, a democratic system failed to develop.

In 1973, Daoud led a military revolt overthrowing King Zahir.  and established the Republic of Afghanistan with himself as president and prime minister.  In 1978, rival left-wing military leaders and civilians staged a revolt in which Daoud was killed. This group, aided by the Soviet Union, took control of the government and introduced communistic policies.  Many people of Afghanistan opposed the new government, believing that government policies conflicted with teachings of Islam. Large numbers of people joined in a rebellion against the government and a widespread fighting broke out between the rebels and government forces.

In this internal conflict Soviet Union supported the government with communist leanings and in late 1979 and early 1980, sent thousands of troops.  to Afghanistan to support the government against the fight with rebels.  This  resulted in a lengthy conflict between Soviet troops and Afghan rebels. However, the government failed to achieve a decisive victory  In 1988, the Soviet Union began withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan. completing it in February 1989.

But the fighting between the mujaheddin and the government forces continued until April 1992, when the rebels overthrew the government.  Following the overthrow, several factions of the rebels agreed to set up a transitional government.  However, fighting continued in the country as the different factions competed for power.

Who are the main characters in "They Cage the Animals at Night"?

The central character in "They Cage the Animals at Night" is the author, Jennings Michael Burch.  Burch was abandoned by his mother when he was eight years old, and the book is his story of his years in foster care and institutions.

Burch is a resilient young boy who quickly learns the hard rules of survival as he is shuttled from home to home.  The only constant in his life is a stuffed animal he calls Doggie.

Other characters in the book are his mother, Rita Catherine Hogan Burch, and his siblings, older brothers Larry, George, and Walter, and baby brother Gene.  There is also another brother, Jerome, who is not well and spends a lot of time in the hospital.  Burch develops a relationship of sorts with Jerome, who attempts to "explain family relationships and the harsh realities of life to him".  Burch's time with his family is fraught with difficulties, and when his mother becomes ill, the family is broken up again.

Burch spends time in a series of foster homes, and meets a variety of people in them, some helpful and others abusive.  He is befriended by Martha, the cook in one of these homes, and finally crosses paths with Sal, a city busdriver who provides him with the home and support for which he has always yearned.

What characteristics of Paradise Lost make it an epic?

The standard definition of an epic, or heroic poem, is that it is a ''noble story told in noble verse'' (Hutson and McCoy, Epics of the Western World, p. 7), a continuous narrative concerning a heroic person from history or tradition.

The epic is an extended narrative dealing with a hero or group of heroes attempting to achieve a specific goal. This goal frequently has to do with actions, events, or ideas that tend to define a culture either through history, values, or destiny, or, at times, all three. Any poem can be heroic, but the epic is separated from other heroic narratives through its magnitude and style. In simplest terms, epics are very long and written in a highly elevated style. 

The fate of humankind thus becomes the unifying force of the poem, as Milton presents the ideals of private virtue and public rectitude by exploring both the nobility and weakness of fallen humanity.

Like the classical epic, Paradise Lost alternates its setting between the world of men and the worlds of God and the angels (fallen and unfallen). As well as the typical epic forms described above, a number of epic motifs are incorporated by Milton into the poem. For example, he incorporates mythology, though it is Biblical, not classical, myth which dominates Paradise Lost.

Although he claims that war, the traditional subject matter of the epic, is not to be his theme, he does incorporate the motif of battle into the poem.

In "Hamlet," how is the moral order restored?In Hamlet, the moral order is restored. How can this be proven for most of the characters that die?...

Is moral order restored? I suspect Hamlet is more than a black-and-white morality play where good triumphs and everybody lives morally ever after.

There are no only good or only bad characters; Hamlet's not 'good'. His murder of Polonius is unjustifiable, he allows Rosencrantz and Guildernstern to be falsely executed. Even Claudius, the main 'baddie' has a huge long speech where he tries to repent and we see his conscience tortured by guilt and moral indecision. 

O, my offence is rank, it smells to heaven;
It hath the primal eldest curse upon't,
A brother's murder! Pray can I not...

Try what repentance can. What can it not?
Yet what can it when one cannot repent?
O wretched state! O bosom black as death!
O limed soul, that, struggling to be free,
Art more engaged! Help, angels! Make assay.
Bow, stubborn knees; and heart with strings of steel,
Be soft as sinews of the new-born babe!
(Act III Sc III)

Claudius is not evil (a meaningless word), he is a human who committed a terrible murder to attain his desires. His is not punished for this, rather he is swept up by the chaos he unleashes.

At the end of the play, Fortinbras marches in and steals the Crown and Kingdom from all of them. Not because he is restoring moral order, but because he acts on his desires and grabs the nettle unlike Hamlet with his beautiful but crippling introspection. Hamlet is not a morality play. It is a play about human nature.

In "Heart of Darkness, who said, "Because the method is unsound"?

The station manager says this while trying to discredit Kurtz. He calls his methods for gathering ivory for the company unsound and lacking judgment. Although the manager doesn't "deny there is a remarkable quantity of ivory—mostly fossil." He adds, " We must save it, at all events—but look how precarious the position is—and why? Because the method is unsound." Marlow is not impressed and the station manager then tries to make Marlow "unsound".

What is the significance of the "Younger" family name?

The name calls to mind the "younger" generation.  This family is living in a time a great change.  The Civil Rights movement is promising equality to African-Americans, who have suffered unfairly for hundreds of years.  Opportunities are present everywhere, and there is hope that the "American Dream" can be for all people and not just for white people.  However, there is much that still stands in the way.  Racism, greed, pride... these sins plague the family from inside and out.  Although the younger members of the family should be able to make a better life for themselves, it is the oldest member of the family - Mama - who has the most ambition and sense to actually make it happen.  Although change is present, it is slow and arduous.  The "Youngers" will still have to work hard if they really want to see success.

Why did Elisa cry like an old woman in "The Chrysanthemums"?

I believe that Elisa "cries like an old woman" because when she met with the tinker and offers him some of the shoots of her chrysanthemims, she was not simply just offered the tinker chrysantemum shoots to take with him but she was also offered herself to him. When she discovers that he has thrown the flower shoots away on the side of the road she has to come to the realization that he has not only rejected the flowers and thrown away something very special to her but he has also rejected her, casting her to the side of the road as well.  There is also pain in the fact that he used her (he duped her as he would a simply woman, by using pretty words, flirting with her and pretending to care about what she was saying –something many men would have done during that time–something she thought herself above.)  She is defeat in the knowledge that all men cannot be trusted and therefore she has no way off the lonesome, isolated ranch in Salinas Valley, California. In a moment she is confined by the limitations and confinements she so desperately longed to escape.

This realization leaves her feel more alone and trapped than she ever has. Like and "old woman" who has outlived her prime and usefulness and is left with nothing to do but spend her days awaiting for the slow hand of time to claim her.

Winston lives in a world full of contradictions such as WAR IS PEACE. What role does Doublethink have and how does this satisfy the party?

One of the key ideas in 1984 is that who controls language controls thought (this relates to the whole business about controling past to contol the future). Language is a complicated issue, but it's basically the only way that we can "think" (some artist would argue with this, but in my experience it is generally true --- try to sit down for a half hour without a word going through your mind.) Some words have a clear one.on.one meaning ... most of us know what "pen" means. Many of the really important words are not that simple; there is no one.to.one correspondence with words such as "love," "freedom," "faith", etc. We do our best with the tools we have, but we can never agree on the exact meaning of these.

In 1984, the Inner Party realizes that if they can control the number and/or quality of words in the language (each new edition of the Dictionary gets smaller and smaller), then the people will not have the words/ thoughts that will allow them to think about/against the government. Take away the language, you may eventually be able to take away the thought of revolt. Control then becomes a very simple issue.

Maybe this is the reason English teachers are so insistant on wide reading and vocabulary development :)

Ch. 9: What exactly is the irony of Simon's death? When you look at the language which describes the murder, explain what the children have become.

Towards the end of chapter nine, the boys are dancing on the beach, reenacting the killing of the pig. They are chanting "Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!" They have let themselves become savages and released their moral obligations because they no longer want the burden of thinking about their actions. They have embraced the sadistic side of human nature. When Simon stumbles in to the circle, the boys are frightened at first and attack him. In the confusion, their fright turns vicious and they submit to the beast within themselves.

Simon's death is ironic because he has come to tell the boys that there is hope of being rescued because "the beastie" was nothing more than a parachutist. However, the brutality of the group has more power than the truth, and Simon is not able to deliver the information.

in a circle of radius 5 cm, AB and AC arre 2 chords such that AB=AC=6cm. find the length of the chord BC.

Consider the triangles OAB and OAC are congruent as AB=AC
given to be 6cm and OA  icommon  OB = OC = 5cm being radius. So angle OAB =
OAC......(1)

Drop a perpedicular OD to AB. Then AD = DB = 3
cm as the perpendicular meets the cord at the middle. OD = sqrt (OA^2-OC^2) =
sqrt(5^2-3^2) = 4cm.

So Area of OAB = (1/2) AB * OD =
(1/2)6*4 = 12 sq cm....(2)

Now AO extended should meet the
chord at E and it is middle of the BC as ABC is an isoseles with AB= AC and triangles
AEB and and AEC are congruent as AB =AC and AE common, Angle OAB = angle OAC. Therefore
triangles being congruent ,angle AEB and angle AEC are perpendicular. Therefore  BE is
the altitude of the triangle OAB with AO as base.Also  this implies BE =EC or AC
=2BE

Therefore the area of the triangle OAB = (1/2)AO*BE =
(1/2)5*BE = 12 sq cm as arrived in eq (2). Therefore solving for BE, we
get:

BE = 12*2/5 =
4.8cm

Therefore BC = 2BE = 2*4.8 cm = 9.6
cm.

in a circle of radius 5 cm, AB and AC arre 2 chords such that AB=AC=6cm. find the length of the chord BC.

Consider the triangles OAB and OAC are congruent as AB=AC given to be 6cm and OA  icommon  OB = OC = 5cm being radius. So angle OAB = OAC......(1)

Drop a perpedicular OD to AB. Then AD = DB = 3 cm as the perpendicular meets the cord at the middle. OD = sqrt (OA^2-OC^2) = sqrt(5^2-3^2) = 4cm.

So Area of OAB = (1/2) AB * OD = (1/2)6*4 = 12 sq cm....(2)

Now AO extended should meet the chord at E and it is middle of the BC as ABC is an isoseles with AB= AC and triangles AEB and and AEC are congruent as AB =AC and AE common, Angle OAB = angle OAC. Therefore triangles being congruent ,angle AEB and angle AEC are perpendicular. Therefore  BE is the altitude of the triangle OAB with AO as base.Also  this implies BE =EC or AC =2BE

Therefore the area of the triangle OAB = (1/2)AO*BE = (1/2)5*BE = 12 sq cm as arrived in eq (2). Therefore solving for BE, we get:

BE = 12*2/5 = 4.8cm

Therefore BC = 2BE = 2*4.8 cm = 9.6 cm.

Compare and contrast the marriage proposal of Mr. Collins and Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth's response to them in "Pride and Prejudice". the answer...

Collins proposes to Elizabeth  on Wednesday  November 27th  at  her own house (Ch.19). Darcy proposes to Elizabeth at the parsonage at Hunsford during the Easter season when she was visiting her friend Charlotte who is now married to Mr.Collins (Ch.34).

Collins is a cousin of Mr.Bennet who will inherit Mr.Bennet's estate after his death. This is why he is so arrogant and  confident that Elizabeth will not reject his proposal.  Darcy is also a very proud man because of his immense wealth and his large estate and he is also confident that Elizabeth will not reject his proposal. Both of them take Elizabeth for granted and impress upon her that they are actually doing her a great favour by marrying her  and try to  exploit her financial distress to their advantage. They do not care to find out leave alone respect  her  feelings with regard to marrying them.

Both of them are completely unromantic men. Their  arrogance prevents them from praising her beauty or her intelligence or flattering her before seeking her consent.

In Collins' case Elizabeth was aware that Collins had decided to marry her as early as Ch.17. but she never had any inkling that Darcy was interested in her and his proposal takes her completely by surprise.

Collins gives three general reasons why he wants to marry without specifying why he wants to  marry Elizabeth in particular. Darcy blurts out his love and admiration for Elizabeth in particular.

What is the role of women in Things Fall Apart? What place do they occupy hierarchically?

The answer is a complicated one.  Women were treated as possessions.  Men dominated African society and women were supposed to be subservient to them.  Women were frequently raped and beaten.  They were expected to know their place and if they tried to move outside of that "place," they suffered the consequences.  Here is a very useful link about Achebe's approach to the roles of women in this novel:

http://www.uga.edu/~womanist/1995/mezu.html

What is the significance of 1984 plot structure broken up into 3 sections?

Three is a Magic
Number:

• 3 act structure: beginning (problems),
  middle (climax), end (resolution)


• 3 geographical
  settings (Oceania, Eastasia, Eurasia)


• 3 types of people
  according to Goldstein's book:

readability="17">

Throughout recorded time, and probably since the
end of the Neolithic Age, there have been three kinds of people in the
world, the High, the Middle, and the Low. They have been subdivided in
many ways, they have borne countless different names, and their relative numbers, as
well as their attitude towards one another, have varied from age to age: but the
essential structure of society has never
altered.

• The three
  slogans of the Party:

1. WAR IS
   PEACE


2. FREEDOM IS
   SLAVERY


3. IGNORANCE IS
   STRENGTH

• 3 main characters (Winston,
  Julia, O'Brien)


• 3 is often used as a literary device to
  provoke a feeling of unnaturalness, as twos are much more common in nature (limbs,
  hemispheres, eyes, etc).  We realize that O'Brien is third wheel, unnatural.
  


• 3 verb tenses: PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE.  Winston has a
  hard time distinguishing one from the others.


• The Party
  has rolled out nine "3 Year Plans"


• 3 political prisoners
  (Rutherford, Jones, Aaronson)

What is the significance of 1984 plot structure broken up into 3 sections?

Three is a Magic Number:

• 3 act structure: beginning (problems), middle (climax), end (resolution)


• 3 geographical settings (Oceania, Eastasia, Eurasia)


• 3 types of people according to Goldstein's book:

Throughout recorded time, and probably since the end of the Neolithic Age, there have been three kinds of people in the world, the High, the Middle, and the Low. They have been subdivided in many ways, they have borne countless different names, and their relative numbers, as well as their attitude towards one another, have varied from age to age: but the essential structure of society has never altered.

• The three slogans of the Party:

1. WAR IS PEACE


2. FREEDOM IS SLAVERY


3. IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

• 3 main characters (Winston, Julia, O'Brien)


• 3 is often used as a literary device to provoke a feeling of unnaturalness, as twos are much more common in nature (limbs, hemispheres, eyes, etc).  We realize that O'Brien is third wheel, unnatural.


• 3 verb tenses: PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE.  Winston has a hard time distinguishing one from the others.


• The Party has rolled out nine "3 Year Plans"


• 3 political prisoners (Rutherford, Jones, Aaronson)

Why does the voice from the police car respond “No profession”? in the story "The Pedestrian."

The voice from the police car says this because Leonard
Mead has said that he is a writer.  The car says this as if it is talking to
itself.

In my opinion, this is a commentary by Bradbury on
what this society is like.  The society is totally rigid and structured.  People are not
allowed to do anything that is not like what everyone else does.  That is why Leonard
Mead has been stopped by the police -- he is out walking when no one else would
be.

In such a society, a writer would not do well -- no one
has any imagination.  So the police car does not even recognize the idea that someone
might write as a profession.

Why does the voice from the police car respond “No profession”? in the story "The Pedestrian."

The voice from the police car says this because Leonard Mead has said that he is a writer.  The car says this as if it is talking to itself.

In my opinion, this is a commentary by Bradbury on what this society is like.  The society is totally rigid and structured.  People are not allowed to do anything that is not like what everyone else does.  That is why Leonard Mead has been stopped by the police -- he is out walking when no one else would be.

In such a society, a writer would not do well -- no one has any imagination.  So the police car does not even recognize the idea that someone might write as a profession.

What rule does Ralph establish in "Lord of the Flies"?

Ralph establishes the rule that whoever is holding the conch has the right to speak. Anyone else must listen. This is similar to raising one's hand in school and establishes the conch as a symbol of authority. At this point, a democratic order is established around the conch. Choices and decisions are shared by all. Together, they determine their situation, they realize they must fend for themselves, and the island looks capable of providing them with what they need. However, even as this chapter ends, the seeds of disorder are sown. The fire the boys built and found so necessary, gets out of control, causes an explosion, and results in the death of one little boy.The explosions from the fire that claim the boy’s life cause creeper vines to fly into the air looking like snakes. Ironically, they appear to be like the “snake-thing” the small boy feared would eat him. So, this makes the "snake-thing" something that could be real.

Are there any quotes that relate to ego defense mechanisms for The Lord of the Flies?

I can think of one scene that may be an example of the ego
defense mechanism that you are looking for.  There is a type of second election for
chief in a meeting called by Jack.  This meeting is found in the chapter entitled "Gift
for the Darkness."  Jack says, "Hands up, whoever wants Ralph not to be chief?"  His
question is met with silence.  Jack's reaction comes in the form of "humiliating
tears."  He covers his pain by disappearing into the woods and saying, "I'm not going to
play any longer. Not with you."  When some of the boys find their way to Jack, he is
"brilliantly happy." 

Many of Jack's responses are a result
of his trying to cover his embarrassment.  When Ralph accuses him of letting the fire go
out in Chapter 4, Jack responds that he killed a pig.  When Ralph insists that Jack had
let the fire go out, Jack in his anger, hits Piggy. 

Jack
uses escape, blame diversion, misplaced anger and violence as mechanism of coping with
threats to his ego. 

Are there any quotes that relate to ego defense mechanisms for The Lord of the Flies?

I can think of one scene that may be an example of the ego defense mechanism that you are looking for.  There is a type of second election for chief in a meeting called by Jack.  This meeting is found in the chapter entitled "Gift for the Darkness."  Jack says, "Hands up, whoever wants Ralph not to be chief?"  His question is met with silence.  Jack's reaction comes in the form of "humiliating tears."  He covers his pain by disappearing into the woods and saying, "I'm not going to play any longer. Not with you."  When some of the boys find their way to Jack, he is "brilliantly happy." 

Many of Jack's responses are a result of his trying to cover his embarrassment.  When Ralph accuses him of letting the fire go out in Chapter 4, Jack responds that he killed a pig.  When Ralph insists that Jack had let the fire go out, Jack in his anger, hits Piggy. 

Jack uses escape, blame diversion, misplaced anger and violence as mechanism of coping with threats to his ego. 

How far is Eric Birling to blame for Eva/Daisy's death in An Inspector Calls?

Eric Birling has many faults. He steals money from his
father, is a drunkard and a philanderer. However, of all of the party guests that night,
he is probably the least responsible for the death of Eva Smith/ Daisy Renton. It is
when he finds out that the young lady he has been seeing is pregnant he at least tries
to make a gesture to help – however feeble and inadequate. Mr and Mrs Birling hold the
father of the girl’s child responsible until they learn he is their son. Eva/Daisy had
refused his help as she suspected that he was stealing the money he was giving to her to
support her.

Eric is different from the others in that he
did attempt to make Eva/Daisy’s plight a little better. He is repentant of what happened
to the girl and clearly learns a lesson from the incident
–

‘It’s what
happened to the girl and what we all did to her that
matters.’

How far is Eric Birling to blame for Eva/Daisy's death in An Inspector Calls?

Eric Birling has many faults. He steals money from his father, is a drunkard and a philanderer. However, of all of the party guests that night, he is probably the least responsible for the death of Eva Smith/ Daisy Renton. It is when he finds out that the young lady he has been seeing is pregnant he at least tries to make a gesture to help – however feeble and inadequate. Mr and Mrs Birling hold the father of the girl’s child responsible until they learn he is their son. Eva/Daisy had refused his help as she suspected that he was stealing the money he was giving to her to support her.

Eric is different from the others in that he did attempt to make Eva/Daisy’s plight a little better. He is repentant of what happened to the girl and clearly learns a lesson from the incident –

‘It’s what happened to the girl and what we all did to her that matters.’

The diction in "The Cask of Amontillado" is formal. Why is this the case?

The first reason is due to Edgar A. Poe's writing style, which was formal in nature. Poe was a master of words and had an extensive vocabulary, and he made use of it in his writing. His style is instantly recognizable, just as Hemingway's or Faulkner's would be to most people who are well read. The other reason is because this diction Poe uses would be indicative of the character of the narrator. The narrator was a well-to-do man who was upper-class, so his diction would be formal, unlike someone who was from the lower classes. The narrator is also very calculating and careful, so one would suspect his diction would also be this way.

The second paragraph of "Fahrenheit 451" describes the burning of a house containing books. What images does this create for the reader?

There are a lot of images that this paragraph that are created for the reader. Bradbury has a great sense of the use of imagery in his writing. The fireman's hose is manifested into a "great python spitting its venomous kerosene upon the world". The fireman is compared to an "amazing conductor playing all the symphonies of blazing and burning". The house is described as actually jumping into this beautiful symphony. The fireman walks among the "swarm of fireflies"which are the hot ashes beginning to fill the air still ablaze with the fragrance and light of the fire. The books being burned are described as "flapping pigeon-winged" creatures. It is the defining paragraph that makes the reader want to keep going because this fire sounds so intriguing, because this fire conjures so many different images that are not usually associated with fires.

Note: imagery is the ability paint mental pictures with words or the use of vivid or figurative language to represent objects, actions, or ideas

What is the importance of political parties in American history?how did the parties shape our country in the past as well as today

What becomes known as 'political parties' developed in this country during the ratification process of the United States Constitution. The men who all fought together for independence, all of a sudden found themselves 'taking sides'. There were many arguments, however among the most heated were the amount of power the 'new' federal government would have, and whether or not a specific 'Bill of Rights' would be added.  This was the birth of American politics.  What is interesting about this development is that most of the framers of the Constitution did not realize the impact their differences of opinion would ultimately have upon the new nation and its posterity. It could be argued that this evidence proves that political parties are inevitable in a free society. We are free to disagree and hopefully are still able to remain friendly or at least respectful towards one another. Unfortunately, some who serve in government today forget that politics, can get in the way of doing the 'greater good'. Healthy debate is expected in a free society, however some politicans today tend to use politics as a 'dividing factor' as opposed to that 'healthy debate'. This attitude, no matter which side you are on, will undermine one of the Unites States' best qualities, the art of compromise. Compromise and balance are crucial elements in a free and diverse society. 

What does the Misfit mean when he says that Jesus has "thrown everything off balance"?

The Misfit is saying Jesus "threw" everything off balance, meaning that because Jesus could raise the dead and perform other miracles, he defied common sense and logic. Of course, the Misfit isn't sure if Jesus really did all he is reported to have done. He does say, however, that if Jesus did what he said, "then there's nothing for you to do but thow away everything and follow Him."

The Misfit chooses the other possibility: "if He didn't, then it's nothing for you to do but enjoy the few minutes you got left the best way you can--by killing somebody or burning down his house or doing some other meanness to him." He refuses to believe in Jesus but wishes he "had been there" for he "would of known and ... wouldn't be like [he] is now."

What does the wild bay represent for the boy?

In Lessing's "Through the Tunnel," the bay is and
represents something the boy isn't supposed to do or can't do; it is something the older
boys can do, and the boy wants to do.  The bay is basically a rite of passage.  Or, more
specifically, swimming through the tunnel in the bay is all of the
above. 

Notice that once he's done it, once he's
accomplished his goal, he is in no hurry to go back.  He's done it, he's made it, he's
proved himself, he's matured.  He's proven he belongs. 

He
begins the story as a little boy who seeks attention in any way possible, and
desperately needs the approval of others.  He matures and in the close of the story he
is content in what he's done and in who he is.

What does the wild bay represent for the boy?

In Lessing's "Through the Tunnel," the bay is and represents something the boy isn't supposed to do or can't do; it is something the older boys can do, and the boy wants to do.  The bay is basically a rite of passage.  Or, more specifically, swimming through the tunnel in the bay is all of the above. 

Notice that once he's done it, once he's accomplished his goal, he is in no hurry to go back.  He's done it, he's made it, he's proved himself, he's matured.  He's proven he belongs. 

He begins the story as a little boy who seeks attention in any way possible, and desperately needs the approval of others.  He matures and in the close of the story he is content in what he's done and in who he is.

What was the impact of the Korean War on international relations and the Cold War?

The war, though long, bloody and costly, also seemed to
prove and justify that a policy of containment - stopping the spread of communism to
other countries - worked and was justified.  This would be part of the reason why we
would get involved in Vietnam a short time later.  The war was mostly between the US and
China, so there were tense relations between our two countries for more than 20 years
following the Korean conflict.

It accelerated the Cold War
between us and the Soviet Union, as the North relied on Soviet weapons to fight the war,
and some Soviet pilots even flew missions against American jets during that time, and we
knew it.  We accelerated the arms race, and the public became overwhelmingly convinced
that the Soviets were bent on world domination, and social hatred of them and communists
grew rapidly in the early 1950s.

What was the impact of the Korean War on international relations and the Cold War?

The war, though long, bloody and costly, also seemed to prove and justify that a policy of containment - stopping the spread of communism to other countries - worked and was justified.  This would be part of the reason why we would get involved in Vietnam a short time later.  The war was mostly between the US and China, so there were tense relations between our two countries for more than 20 years following the Korean conflict.

It accelerated the Cold War between us and the Soviet Union, as the North relied on Soviet weapons to fight the war, and some Soviet pilots even flew missions against American jets during that time, and we knew it.  We accelerated the arms race, and the public became overwhelmingly convinced that the Soviets were bent on world domination, and social hatred of them and communists grew rapidly in the early 1950s.

Please explain this quote "putting pressure on a people and then penalizing them for not being able to stand up under the pressure?"

The quote reflects a sentiment that Malcolm X felt regarding the notions of freedom and opportunity for people of color in America during the 1960's.  Some background might be needed in order to effectively address this topic.  As racial tension and disharmony increased in the 1960's, a common refrain heard from politicians and defenders of the establishment was that racism was an invented and false claim.  Proponents of this argument offered the idea that there were no codified laws that specifically prevents African- Americans and other people of color from finding success.  The fact that there was no legal or stated wording of discrimination, these individuals argued, proves that there could not be racist or discriminatory practices on the part of government or society.  Malcolm X and other Civil Rights leaders debated the nature of this assessment.  These forces argued that while there might not have been specific language that prevented achievement for the people of color, there were institutional biases and practices that made it highly unlikely that equal opportunity was prevalent.  For example, they suggested that one examine the nature of neighborhoods in America at the time.  Garbage pickup, street and sanitation work, educational facilities, and public service facilities were inherently different and inferior in many neighborhoods populated with people of color/ African- Americans.  They also suggested that the years of segregated practices under Plessy v. Ferguson had left a residual effect whereby people of color had been denied equal access and opportunity.  Essentially, Civil Rights thinkers such as Malcolm X argued that racism and racist practices were not illusory or merely invented, but real and quite present.

The quotation relates to the idea that the structures of power in American society in the 1960s placed pressure on people of color in its denial of equal opportunity, access, and social/ legal due process.  In not acknowledging this disparity in opportunity and promise, veiling it under the guise of the opportunity ideology, these structures of power placed a great deal of pressure on people of color.  Dismissing their claims of unfair, discriminatory, or racist practices- essentially, denying their voice- ended up penalizing them for not being able to stand up to this so- called pressure.

Who is Grendel in the epic poem "Beowulf"?

Grendel is a monster, identified in the text as a descendent of Cain. In the Bible, Cain was the first murderer. He killed his brother because of jealousy. Grendel is awakened by the celebrations going on at Herot and is jealous of the celebrating. That's when he attacks Herot and kills many men. As a result, Herot is left empty for 12 years and Hrothgar, the king, is very upset. Beowulf hears of Hrothgar's plight and comes to help. Beowulf succeeds in killing Grendel, but then must deal with Grendel's mother.

In what ways has Macbeth's ambition begun to be detrimental to him?

Macbeth's ambition also blinds him to the faults in his own thinking and the long-term consequences of his actions. In these two ways, his ambition causes him to behave in a way that would have been ruinous to him even if all his plans had gone as well as possible.

Macbeth both believes and disbelieves the prophecies of the witches. If the prediction that he will become King of Scotland is true, it should be true regardless of what he does; if it is not true, it is worthless. He recognizes this,

If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me
Without my stir. (I, iii)

but the driving force of his ambition will not allow him to trust in it. Had he done so, the witches' temptation would have failed, whether or not he had become king.

Macbeth's ambition leads him to the further absurdity of half-believing the witches' words. At the same time Macbeth was told he would be king, Banquo was told his descendants would be kings. Macbeth tries to defeat the second part of the prophecy with Banquo's murder, forgetting that if one part of it is untrue, the other is also in doubt.

Ambition also causes Macbeth to be consciously short-sighted. As a Christian of that era, he believes that murder and traffic with the Devil will eternally damn him. Nevertheless, he proceeds with his plans, deluded into valuing a few years as King of Scotland more than the eternity of his afterlife:

....here, upon this bank and shoal of time,--
We'd jump the life to come. (I, vii)

What are different types of psychological diseases that you know?

Psychological diseases or disorders affect the way people
feel, think, speak, and behave. The field of psychology that deals with study and
treatment of such disorders is called abnormal
psychology.

What is considered normal and abnormal
behaviour differ from society to society and change as social conditions and customs
change.  For example, beating children to discipline them was considered normal and even
desirable behaviour in the past, but many people today consider such behaviour abnormal
and undesirable.

Psychological disorders may be classifies
in four groups according to theories that explain their likely causes and methods of
treatment. These are biophysical, intrapsychic, existential, and  behavioural.
Biophysical theories focus on underlying physical causes of psychological disturbances.
Such disorders are primarily treated with tranquillizers, antidepressants, sleeping
pills, and other drugs.  In a few cases electric shocks and surgery may also be used.
Most common disorders of this type are delirium and
dementia.

Intrapsychic theories focus on the emotional
basis of abnormal behaviour.  Such disorders may result from conflicts in early
childhood which may result in abnormal behavior can usually cope with everyday problems
are described as neurotics. Others with more severe problems causing individuals to lose
track of reality are called psychotic. Psychotic people may believe in very unrealistic
ideas called delusions, or may have hallucinations such as   "hearing voices" or "seeing
visions". This kind of disorders are often treated by psychoanalysis to help to help
them understand and resolve their conflicts and anxieties. Schizophrenia is the
commonest psychotic disorder in which a person suffers unpredictable disturbances in
thinking, mood, awareness, and behaviour. Depression (sadness) and mania (extreme joy
and over activity) also come under this category of disorders. People with bipolar
disorder suffer from alternating periods of depression and
mania.

Existential theories of abnormal behaviour stress
the importance of current experiences and the person's view of himself or herself. 
Treatment of such disorders involves helping patients gain insight into their feelings,
accept responsibility for their lives, and fulfil their
potential.

Behavioural theories emphasize the effects of
learning on behaviour.  Treatment based on behavioral theories attempt to change
abnormal behavior using a learning process called conditioning.  Thus people with such
disorders are treated by teaching them acceptable behaviour patterns and reinforcing
desired behaviour by rewards.

What are different types of psychological diseases that you know?

Psychological diseases or disorders affect the way people feel, think, speak, and behave. The field of psychology that deals with study and treatment of such disorders is called abnormal psychology.

What is considered normal and abnormal behaviour differ from society to society and change as social conditions and customs change.  For example, beating children to discipline them was considered normal and even desirable behaviour in the past, but many people today consider such behaviour abnormal and undesirable.

Psychological disorders may be classifies in four groups according to theories that explain their likely causes and methods of treatment. These are biophysical, intrapsychic, existential, and  behavioural. Biophysical theories focus on underlying physical causes of psychological disturbances. Such disorders are primarily treated with tranquillizers, antidepressants, sleeping pills, and other drugs.  In a few cases electric shocks and surgery may also be used. Most common disorders of this type are delirium and dementia.

Intrapsychic theories focus on the emotional basis of abnormal behaviour.  Such disorders may result from conflicts in early childhood which may result in abnormal behavior can usually cope with everyday problems are described as neurotics. Others with more severe problems causing individuals to lose track of reality are called psychotic. Psychotic people may believe in very unrealistic ideas called delusions, or may have hallucinations such as   "hearing voices" or "seeing visions". This kind of disorders are often treated by psychoanalysis to help to help them understand and resolve their conflicts and anxieties. Schizophrenia is the commonest psychotic disorder in which a person suffers unpredictable disturbances in thinking, mood, awareness, and behaviour. Depression (sadness) and mania (extreme joy and over activity) also come under this category of disorders. People with bipolar disorder suffer from alternating periods of depression and mania.

Existential theories of abnormal behaviour stress the importance of current experiences and the person's view of himself or herself.  Treatment of such disorders involves helping patients gain insight into their feelings, accept responsibility for their lives, and fulfil their potential.

Behavioural theories emphasize the effects of learning on behaviour.  Treatment based on behavioral theories attempt to change abnormal behavior using a learning process called conditioning.  Thus people with such disorders are treated by teaching them acceptable behaviour patterns and reinforcing desired behaviour by rewards.

What are the uses of funny characters in "A Midsummer Night's Dream"?I need to know how the funny characters contribute to the play.

"Midsummer" is one of Shakespeare's most comedic comedies.  Even when he has sad characters, wandering around the forest seeking love, it is still rather madcap and crazy, particularly with Puck getting involved and getting everything even more confused.

However, there is also a certain amount of intensity with the situations between Hermia and Helena, Lysander and Demetrius.  If Shakespeare had spent the entire play focused on these four crazy-in-love people, the play would certainly have been bogged down with intense emotion and hurt feelings.  I mean, it is actually quite painful to see Helena chasing after Demetrius, and then later, Lysander chasing after Helena when he's had the love-potion accidentally put into his eyes by Puck.  So Shakespeare gave us a wonderful subplot about an acting troupe, trying to come up with a great play to perform at court.

The characters of Bottom and his cronies are so over-the-top laughable that they relieve a great deal of the intense emotion we witness with the four lovers in the forest.  Thus we're given comic relief by Bottom, Titania's infatuation over him as an ass, and "The most lamentable comedy and most cruel death of Pyramus and Thisbe" (1.2).  How's that for a title? :)

Check the links below for more information!  Good luck!

How does Mrs. Drover control her fear?

After finding a mysterious letter on her hall table, Mrs.
Drover retreats to the bedroom of her abandoned house to read its contents.  In the
narration that follows, we learn that Mrs. Drover's normal expression is "one of
controlled worry," which suggests that she is already an anxious woman by nature.  As
she processes the contents of the letter, she moves from her position with her back to
the empty room to a chair against the wall--an obvious sign of paranoia.  Further, Mrs.
Drover tries to convince herself that she is "in a mood" and has imagined the letter,
but after shutting her eyes and opening them again, she finds the letter is still
there.  After locking the bedroom door, she hastily packs her belongings and prepares
to--and eventually does--flee the house.  Once out of the house and back in the presence
of passersby on the street, Mrs. Drover is convinced that she has successfully escaped a
dangerous situation.  Obviously, though, this is not the case, as she presumably comes
face to face with her Demon Lover in the taxi.