What is the concept of universality in the novel, "The Guide"?

"Universality" as a literature term means some factor in the book that is not particular to a specific place, people, or time period. It could be happening to anyone, anywhere since it is "universal".  For instance, all humans love, hate, seek revenge, nurture, envy.  These are universal traits.

In this book, one universal trait is that Raju is a scamp who becomes well-respected and saintly.  This is the typical rags to riches story that you will find in almost every culture in the world.

Another universal trait is that Raju dies so that others may live.  This is considered the ultimate sacrifice, and martyrs are found in literature all over the world as well.

Go back and look...what else happens in the book that is not specific to the continent, culture, or town where Raju lives?  If it could happen anywhere else in the world, it is a universal trait.

Good Luck!

What is the setting in relation to the plot in Katherine Mansfield's ''The Garden Party''?

The setting of "The Garden Party" begins at Laura's home
and shifts to the neighborhood and home of the dead man's widow. When the story opens in
medias res (or res in medias), Laura is making preparations for a garden party and
greeting workmen who have come to carry out the details of the arrangements. The house
and garden are the elegant living places of the wealthy Sheridan family and connected to
an accidental killing of a young carter who left a young widow behind him. It is this
accidentally event that forms the main conflict of the story because Laura feels the
moral impropriety of holding a party in the garden after a man lost his life. There is
an implied shift of scene as the party seems to carry on without narratorial comment
aside from scattered stream of consciousness remarks made by Laura that indicates the
fulfillment of the party.

Later, the setting changes to the
neighborhood and home of the young widow when Laura's mother insists that she remain in
her party clothes and go to deliver a platter full of party leftovers to the home of the
grieving young widow. Laura capitulates and goes on the journey down the lane to make
the delivery while still in her garden party dress and black hat. The lane leads Laura
to the cottage of the young man and his widow, which is surrounded by a mournful group
of people through whom Laura makes her way. Inside the cottage, the setting reveals
grieved characters and the body of the young man laid out looking peaceful and restful
in death. While looking at the young man, Laura has a flash of enlightenment, an
epiphany, and realizes how incongruous her presence is there amidst the trappings of
luxury, arrogant life, and garden parties. She exclaims, "Forgive my hat," the symbol of
all the incongruities, and leaves the cottage setting to reenter the lane where her
brother meets her, having come after her to give her encouragement. They share the
knowledge that life is an incongruence of having and not having as her brother says,
"Isn't it, darling?"

What is the setting in relation to the plot in Katherine Mansfield's ''The Garden Party''?

The setting of "The Garden Party" begins at Laura's home and shifts to the neighborhood and home of the dead man's widow. When the story opens in medias res (or res in medias), Laura is making preparations for a garden party and greeting workmen who have come to carry out the details of the arrangements. The house and garden are the elegant living places of the wealthy Sheridan family and connected to an accidental killing of a young carter who left a young widow behind him. It is this accidentally event that forms the main conflict of the story because Laura feels the moral impropriety of holding a party in the garden after a man lost his life. There is an implied shift of scene as the party seems to carry on without narratorial comment aside from scattered stream of consciousness remarks made by Laura that indicates the fulfillment of the party.

Later, the setting changes to the neighborhood and home of the young widow when Laura's mother insists that she remain in her party clothes and go to deliver a platter full of party leftovers to the home of the grieving young widow. Laura capitulates and goes on the journey down the lane to make the delivery while still in her garden party dress and black hat. The lane leads Laura to the cottage of the young man and his widow, which is surrounded by a mournful group of people through whom Laura makes her way. Inside the cottage, the setting reveals grieved characters and the body of the young man laid out looking peaceful and restful in death. While looking at the young man, Laura has a flash of enlightenment, an epiphany, and realizes how incongruous her presence is there amidst the trappings of luxury, arrogant life, and garden parties. She exclaims, "Forgive my hat," the symbol of all the incongruities, and leaves the cottage setting to reenter the lane where her brother meets her, having come after her to give her encouragement. They share the knowledge that life is an incongruence of having and not having as her brother says, "Isn't it, darling?"

When Scout falls out of the tire in "To Kill a Mockingbird,"why does she feel that Boo Radley is still alive?

Besides the "audio evidence" of Boo's laughter from inside the house at the end of Chapter 4, we readers are led to believe that Scout has an innate sense of Boo Radley's presence in her vicinity. When the children are playing, she resists saying anything about Radley's existence because she doesn't want to be accused of having "Hot Steams," or believing in apparitions. Along and along, however, readers are shown that Scout has an underlying knowledge of Boo's presence, as she refuses to partake in the play that the children manufacture about the Radleys, among other things.

At the story's end, we witness the culmination of Scout's intangible relationship with Boo Radley when she is mysteriously rescued from the wicked Mr. Ewell.

In the story "Two Kinds" what is the conflict between Jing-Mei and her cousin Waverly?

Jing-Mei and Waverly have grown up together and have constantly been competing about one thing or another all their lives.  Waverly is a champion chess player, but Jing-Mei, tired of the constant comparisons between herself and her cousin, determines not to play the one-upmanship game anymore, and just be herself.  The two girls' mothers pressure them relentlessly to excel, in part so the mothers can have bragging rights, and it is this pressure which undoubtedly is behind the contentious relationship between Jing-Mei and Waverly.  Waverly, however, basing in her mother's praise, has become obnoxious and stuck-up, to Jing-Mei's chagrin.  After Jing-Mei's disastrous performance on the piano, Waverly just shrugs and tells Jing-Mei, "You aren't a genius like me".

What has become of young Lucynell and Mr. Shiftlet by the end of "The Life You Save May Be Your Own"?

By the end of the story, Lucynell had been abandoned, and Mr. Shiftlet, appalled at the corruption in the world and in himself, sped alone through the rain down the road to Alabama. 

Mr. Shiftlet had married the oblivious Lucynell and convinced her mother to give him some money and the use of the car, ostensibly so that he could take his new bride on a proper honeymoon.  Shiftlet and Lucynell had set off on their trip and stopped at a diner, where Lucynell fell asleep over her meal.  Shiftlet paid for her food, told the waiter that she was just a hitchhiker, and abandoned her there at the restaurant. 

Shiftlet continued on his way, depressed and tormented by his own behavior.  Hungry for company, he picked up a young boy who actually had never even asked for a ride.  He talked to the boy as he drove along, remembering stories of his "sweet mother" with melancholy regret, but the boy did not share his sentimentality; he shouted epithets about Shiftlet's mother and his own, and leaped from the car.  Shiftlet was stunned as he realized "the rottenness of the world", and as a heavy raindrops began to fall, he careened off down the road to Mobile.

What is the plot? And what are the major conflicts in the plot in "Of Mice And Men"?

John Steinbeck puts two characters together that society has rejected and they form a solid friendship.  Lennie, the simple giant, who depends on George for everything from his food to finding him a job and keeping him out of trouble, and George who pretends that Lennie is a burden, but who needs him just the same.  The story picks up when the two get jobs at a ranch and immediately raise suspicion when George does all the talking for Lennie.

"It is in this setting that we first meet Steinbeck's two protagonists, George Milton and Lennie Small. George is "small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features." Lennie is "his opposite, a huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, with wide, sloping shoulders."

The central aspect of the story revolves around Lennie and George's relationship, their special bond,  Lennie's mental handicap and George's sense of brotherhood toward him. 

 When Lennie, who does not realize his own strength, accidentally kills Curley's wife, because Lennie likes to pet soft things like his mouse, the puppy he accidentally kills and finally Curley's wife's hair, George acts to protect him. 

 As a way of saving him from a savage lynch mob, George kills his friend out of mercy.

After Lennie's death, George is lost and lonely, heartbroken at the loss of his friend.    

In "My Antonia," what are two examples of Jim Burden's romantic nature?

Well, we probably have different editions of the novel, but the narrator speaks of Jim early on, saying, "no disappointments have been severe enough to chill his naturally romantic and ardent disposition." That's on page 712 of my edition; it shows how much the narrator sees him as romantic. I would say the way the two keep talking about a girl from long ago who meant "the whole adventure of their childhood," is another: both the fact that they keep talking about her, and that a person seems to sum up childhood that way. (That's also page 712 of my edition.) Of course, Jim writing about her is another example.

Why is Janie attracted to Tea Cake and why do most of the people in town disapprove of their romance?

Janie is interested in, Vergible Wood or Tea Cake because he is totally different from her first two husbands.  With Tea Cake, she feels young and free, he is younger than her, and this creates a bit of scandal in the town. 

Because Janie has inherited Joe Starks property, she has her own financial status.  She is pursued by a lot of different men, all who have reasons for wanting to marry her.  She doesn't want to be dominated by a man again, that is why Tea Cake is so appealing to her.  He is fun, introduces her to new activites and treats her more like an equal.

He doesn't have the typical attitude of outward domination like other men.

How are the two kings, Hamlet's dead father and Claudius, contrasted with one another throughout the play?

In addition to the superb answer above, King Hamlet
& the Ghost can be juxtaposed with Claudius in terms of their own language and
actions and not just on Hamlet's obviously biased
soliloquy.

Both have killed to gain or
maintain power. King Hamlet killed Old Fortinbras to gain lands in
Poland.  Claudius obviously kills King Hamlet to get the
throne.

Both loved Gertrude.
The Ghost tells Hamlet to leave her to heaven, and Claudius tries to get her to stop
drinking the poisoned chalice.

Both are
blind. King Hamlet was blind to his wife and brother's incest and
adultery.  Claudius is blind toward Hamlet and the effects of his incestuous and
murderous crimes on the state.

Both form
unnatural relationships. The Ghost, a supernatural being, elicits a
mortal (his son, no less) to carry out what he should do (haunt Claudius).  Claudius'
relationship with Gertrude is full of incest, adultery,
deceit.

Both want revenge.
King Hamlet wants revenge on Claudius, and Claudius wants revenge on Hamlet.  They both
incite Hamlet to enact revenge.

Both use
pawns as part of revenge. The Ghost uses Hamlet to carry out his plan,
while Claudius uses Polonius' family, R & G.  All of their pawns, by the way,
die.

King Hamlet (Ghost) will go to heaven,
and Claudius will go to hell. The former is a victim of immorality, while
the former is an agent of it.

The Ghost is a
better performer than Claudius. His lines are war-like, gothic,
menacing.  Claudius, especially at prayer, seems much weaker by
comparison.

How are the two kings, Hamlet's dead father and Claudius, contrasted with one another throughout the play?

In addition to the superb answer above, King Hamlet & the Ghost can be juxtaposed with Claudius in terms of their own language and actions and not just on Hamlet's obviously biased soliloquy.

Both have killed to gain or maintain power. King Hamlet killed Old Fortinbras to gain lands in Poland.  Claudius obviously kills King Hamlet to get the throne.

Both loved Gertrude. The Ghost tells Hamlet to leave her to heaven, and Claudius tries to get her to stop drinking the poisoned chalice.

Both are blind. King Hamlet was blind to his wife and brother's incest and adultery.  Claudius is blind toward Hamlet and the effects of his incestuous and murderous crimes on the state.

Both form unnatural relationships. The Ghost, a supernatural being, elicits a mortal (his son, no less) to carry out what he should do (haunt Claudius).  Claudius' relationship with Gertrude is full of incest, adultery, deceit.

Both want revenge. King Hamlet wants revenge on Claudius, and Claudius wants revenge on Hamlet.  They both incite Hamlet to enact revenge.

Both use pawns as part of revenge. The Ghost uses Hamlet to carry out his plan, while Claudius uses Polonius' family, R & G.  All of their pawns, by the way, die.

King Hamlet (Ghost) will go to heaven, and Claudius will go to hell. The former is a victim of immorality, while the former is an agent of it.

The Ghost is a better performer than Claudius. His lines are war-like, gothic, menacing.  Claudius, especially at prayer, seems much weaker by comparison.

How could Robert Herrick's poem "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time" be paraphrased and what is it saying?

It is also important to note that the final stanza calls for the virgins to not only live life, but to MARRY:

"Then be not coy, but use your time; / And while ye may goe marry"

In the early modern period, when this poem was written, marriage was considered of utmost importance and a real duty. Marriages were important for the purpose of procreation, and Herrick (though he himself never married) was warning young people against the sin of not following God's commandment to be fruitful.

Unlike some other Carpe Diem poems of the time, such as Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress," to which this poem is often compared, Herrick's poem does not simply encourage a sexual encounter, but incorporates a moral element. He wants the virgins to follow the natural order sanctioned by God--first marriage--then sex and children.

For more information about this poem and Marvell's poem see the links below:

In "The Kite Runner", why is Baba disappointed by Amir's decision to become a writer?During their argument about his career path, Amir thinks to...

Amir sacrificed his soul for what he believed was the son Baba wanted. Amir betrayed his best friend, Hassan, because of his jealousy and always thought he could never life up to his father's expectations. In a way, he blames Baba for his strength and manhood. Amir doesn't feel he has that strength. In the betrayal of Hassan, Amir must move past his own sin to gain atonement; this sin haunts him through his adult life. In becoming a writer, Amir has chosen, he feels, a path that will disappoint his father as their goals always seem at odds. It takes the adult Amir to realize the love that passes between a father and a son endures all!

the temperature & the pressureThe pressure in a constant-volume gas thermometer is 0.700 atm at 100 Celsius degree and 0.512 atm at 0 Celsius...

As the mass and volume of the gas in the thermometer is
constant, the change in pressure of the gas is directly proportional to the rise of
temperature. Stated in other words rise in pressure per degree rise in temperature is
constant.

Given:

Pressure at
100 degrees Celsius = 0.700 atm

Pressure at 0 degrees
Celsius = 0.512
atm

Therefore:

Rise in
pressure for 100 degrees rise in temperature = 0.700 0.512 = 0.188
atm

Therefore:

Rise in
temperature per degree Celsius rise in temperature = 0.188/100 = 0.00188
atm

Therefore:

Temperature in
Celsius corresponding to any pressure p is equal to:

t = (p
- p0)/(rise in pressure per degree Celsius temperature)

=
(p - 0.512)/0.00188

Therefore temperature corresponding to
pressure of 0.040:

= (0.040 - 0.512)/).00188 -
0.112/0.00188 = 59.57 degree Celsius.

Similarly, pressure p
in atm at any given temperature t is given by:

p = p0 +
t*(Rise in temperature per degree Celsius rise in
temperature)

= 0.512 +
t*0.00188

Therefore the pressure at 450 degree
Celsius:

= 0.512 + 450*0.00188 = 0.512 + 0.846 = 1.358
atm

the temperature & the pressureThe pressure in a constant-volume gas thermometer is 0.700 atm at 100 Celsius degree and 0.512 atm at 0 Celsius...

As the mass and volume of the gas in the thermometer is constant, the change in pressure of the gas is directly proportional to the rise of temperature. Stated in other words rise in pressure per degree rise in temperature is constant.

Given:

Pressure at 100 degrees Celsius = 0.700 atm

Pressure at 0 degrees Celsius = 0.512 atm

Therefore:

Rise in pressure for 100 degrees rise in temperature = 0.700 0.512 = 0.188 atm

Therefore:

Rise in temperature per degree Celsius rise in temperature = 0.188/100 = 0.00188 atm

Therefore:

Temperature in Celsius corresponding to any pressure p is equal to:

t = (p - p0)/(rise in pressure per degree Celsius temperature)

= (p - 0.512)/0.00188

Therefore temperature corresponding to pressure of 0.040:

= (0.040 - 0.512)/).00188 - 0.112/0.00188 = 59.57 degree Celsius.

Similarly, pressure p in atm at any given temperature t is given by:

p = p0 + t*(Rise in temperature per degree Celsius rise in temperature)

= 0.512 + t*0.00188

Therefore the pressure at 450 degree Celsius:

= 0.512 + 450*0.00188 = 0.512 + 0.846 = 1.358 atm

In "The Seafarer," what happens to “fools who forget their God," and what happens to those who “live humble”?

"We all fear God.  He turns the earth, he set it swinging firmly in space, Gave life to the world  and light to the sky.  Death leaps at the fools who forget their God.  He who lives humbly has angels from Heaven To carry him courage and strength and belief."

The Seafarer believes that those individuals who forget their God will die quickly and without help.  Those who live according to God's wishes, humbly, as Jesus did, will have the help of the angels who will carry them courage and strength and belief.

Courage and strength are two of the pagan ideals of the Anglo-Saxon period...their belief that they will only live after death by the stories told of their heroism.  The Christian beliefs include the afterlife in Heaven with God.

The pre-Christian Anglo-Saxons relied heavily on fate and the deeds they did which resulted in songs to secure a place in the afterlife.  Think of Beowulf and all his heroic deeds (the sea monsters, Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the Dragon). 

To what extent is Captain John Smith a reliable narrator?Why does he write from a third-person point of view? What does he accomplish by this?

In many of the early accounts of life in the New World,
the reliability of the narrator often comes into question.  Much of this uncertainty
stems from the largely Eurocentric perspective of the accounts, particularly as it
relates to the clash of cultures between European settlers and the native inhabitants. 
As such, much of what is written during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries treats
the subject matter in a rather judgmental way, praising the "civilization" of the
European settlers and denigrating the "savagery" of the native
inhabitants.

John Smith's account of life in early
Virginia, written in the early part of the seventeenth century, does not reflect the
above tendency to a great extent; however, Smith appears to have been aware of the
possibility that his relationship to the events could affect how he discusses them. 
Being "too close" to the subject matter can affect the narrator's ability to strike a
balance in the narrative.  One way Smith seeks to avoid this is to remove himself as
much as possible from the narrative, deciding on third-person narration rather than the
more common first-person format.  The third-person perspective gives Smith's account a
greater air of legitimacy - as if he is merely an observer to the events
described.

The question remains:  What does Smith
accomplish with this narrative technique?  In using third-person, Smith's account
appears more balanced to the reader.  Not only does Smith seem to remove himself from
the events as much as possible, but he also manages to make the account more relatable
to other accounts of the region from the same time.  While the account is that of
Smith's own experience, it is an account that connects with other accounts of the
period; it is not too personal an account.

To what extent is Captain John Smith a reliable narrator?Why does he write from a third-person point of view? What does he accomplish by this?

In many of the early accounts of life in the New World, the reliability of the narrator often comes into question.  Much of this uncertainty stems from the largely Eurocentric perspective of the accounts, particularly as it relates to the clash of cultures between European settlers and the native inhabitants.  As such, much of what is written during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries treats the subject matter in a rather judgmental way, praising the "civilization" of the European settlers and denigrating the "savagery" of the native inhabitants.

John Smith's account of life in early Virginia, written in the early part of the seventeenth century, does not reflect the above tendency to a great extent; however, Smith appears to have been aware of the possibility that his relationship to the events could affect how he discusses them.  Being "too close" to the subject matter can affect the narrator's ability to strike a balance in the narrative.  One way Smith seeks to avoid this is to remove himself as much as possible from the narrative, deciding on third-person narration rather than the more common first-person format.  The third-person perspective gives Smith's account a greater air of legitimacy - as if he is merely an observer to the events described.

The question remains:  What does Smith accomplish with this narrative technique?  In using third-person, Smith's account appears more balanced to the reader.  Not only does Smith seem to remove himself from the events as much as possible, but he also manages to make the account more relatable to other accounts of the region from the same time.  While the account is that of Smith's own experience, it is an account that connects with other accounts of the period; it is not too personal an account.

What is a summary for lines 9-10 of John Donne's poem, "A Valediction Forbidding Mourning"?

In the first two stanzas, Donne tells his wife that they should part quietly as virtuous men die (because they're not afraid of where they'll go next or their future)--no crying should cheapen their love and marriage.  He tells her their love is strong and gives support throughout the rest of the poem. 

Moving of th' earth brings harms and fears,
Men reckon what it did, and meant;
But trepidation of the spheres,
Though greater far, is innocent.

In stanza three, Donne offers the support of superstitions popular during the day.  Earthquakes and other natural disasters cause much distress since we can see and hear them.  People try to assign a meaning to them--it's an omen for this, or a harbinger to some other great event yet to happen.  However, this sort of stuff goes on all the time on other planets and elsewhere in the universe.  No one sees or hears or feels these events even though they may be greater and more dangerous than those here on earth, so they go without fear and trembling. 

Likewise, let us part without all the attention and noise.  Our love is based on emotional, mental, spiritual and physical love.  It is not a small thing, and a short absence will not harm it.  You are my rock--my "fixed foot" in the center of my world.  I will always return to you when my adventure (circle) is completed. This is a reference to the metapor he uses of their love to a compass.

What causes the downfall of Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart?

Okonkwo has an excessive fear of being like his father, so as a result, he begins at an early age to prove to his tribe that he is strong and brave. As a result, he becomes an aggressive, angry, violent man in trying to distance himself from his father. His father was lazy and a poor provider for his family. Okonkwo's determination helps him succeed, but it also is partially responsible for his downfall. His anger and violence causes him to committ acts that damage his reputation. The more he achieves, the less he enjoys it because his fear of failure is always there, reminding him that he must continually prove himself to be better than his father. During his exile, Okonkwo learns the value of promoting unity within his community, but it's too late. When he returns to his village, the missionaries have already influenced his tribe, and it is Okonkwo's excessive pride that won't allow him to accept this. He's angry that his people don't support him in his fight against the Europeans, and he allows his fear of failure to blind him to the inevitability of European interference in the traditional beliefs of his people. Again, Okonkwo's anger and violence get the best of him, and he committs his final desperate act of vengeance. His suicide signals his spiritual alienation from his traditional beliefs.

Who is the leader of the girls in "The Crucible"? How would you describe Mary Warren in relation to the other girls?

Abigail Williams is the obvious leader.  She is headstrong, smart, and very manipulative.  She knows right from wrong, and twists is all around to her benefit.  She admits what they were doing in the forest to John Proctor, but threatens the other girls to stick by her by using the fear of being tried and hanged as witches.  They both love and fear her.  The admire her strength and want to be more like her instead of bowing down to the strict way of life of the Puritans, but they also fear the law of the community in which they live...partly because she uses it to her advantage to get them to do her bidding.

Mary Warren is not as strong as Abigail, but she also knows the truth of the matter.  She is stronger than the other girls who blindly follow Abigail's lead.  However, Mary is only strong in her conviction when John Proctor is there beside her.  She loses her strength and the will to tell the truth in the presence of Abigail and the other girls.  Her desire to be accepted by the Abby and the other girls is much stronger than her desire to please her employer, John Proctor. 

How does Chapter 5 of Frankenstein link to the key themes in the novel?

Chapter V is where Victor brings the creature to life.  He had worked for nearly two years to make his dream come true, and now that it finally had, he is repulsed.  

The themes include playing God, scientific advancements, parent/child relationships.  Victor has no business attempting to create or bring the dead back to life, yet he has spent two years attempting that very thing.  Once he is successful, he runs from it.  This brings us to the parent/child relationships.  How would you feel if when you were born, your mother and father ran and shrieked at the sight of you?  I'd say that would be pretty demoralizing and horrible.  So, the creature is abandoned by his own creator/"father" and he has nothing but his own resources to fall back upon.  Later, the creature tells us he was born a benevolent creature, but without the knowledge of survival that parents are supposed to teach their offspring.  Because of this, the creature learns many hard knocks and ultimately this leads him to feeling angry and vengeful toward Victor. 

What this tells us about 19th Century life is that many people had concerns about where science and the advancements made were going.  Much like today with our debates over stem-cell research and what is and what isn't "right," they were concerned. 

Are there any figures of speech in "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"?

cody1212,

The speaker of Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" is in familiar territory; he is riding his sleigh during an evening snowfall and has stopped to watch the woods “fill up with snow.”

There is nothing particularly noteworthy in the speaker’s decision to stop, for falling snow is lovely to watch, but, the stopping may signify a reluctance to move forward, a fear of the future. The speaker apparently feels embarrassed by the stopping, for he notes that his “little horse” must be taking exception to the action. The speaker feels we must be busy every second of our lives. In addition, the speaker has a sense of invading someone else’s property, for the “though” of line 2 suggests that he would not stop if the owner were present to observe him.

In the last stanza, the alternatives are brought into sharp contrast: the woods vs. the promises and the miles. The speaker opts for responsibility, involvement, and action; all this is embodied in the single word “but” in line 14.

Technically, the poem lends itself to analysis of sound and rhyme. Alliteration on the s and w sounds (lines 11–12) reinforces the silence and the sweep of the wind. The sounds are comforting and attractive; they seemingly invite withdrawal. The rhyme scheme is a a b a, b b c b, c c d c, d d d d, and it links or interlocks each stanza with the next. To end the poem, Frost uses the same rhyming sound throughout the last stanza and repeats the last line.

Do you think the author wants the reader to believe that Montag will be happy with the book people?

Montag has lived most of his life with only the illusion of happiness so I think that Bradbury wants to reader to understand that in letting go of those illusions that life will certainly be difficult, but it will also be rewarding. Montag will know real disappointment, he will know real pain, grief, anger, and all the emotions in the scope of the human experience. He will not live his life among illusions, but he will also get to fully experience happiness and joy all the while figuring out who he wants to become rather than who society forms him to be. He will have the power of real applicable knowledge and not simply facts, he will be allowed to slow down and fully taste all the wonders the world has to offer him. It will not always be happy and easy, but the joyful moments will be much more appreciated because they will be real and in real contrast to the actual moments of pain which makes them even greater.

Should the arline industry accept any blame for the success of the 9/11 attacks?

I think the ext to which airlines industry  can be blamed
for the 9/11 attack, is no more than the extent to which a brick, which has been used to
hit a person, can be blamed for hurting the person. But the the brick is an inanimate
object, while airlines industry is an organization of people, and it would be great
folly for those men from airlines industry to not to accept the responsibility for
preventing such possibilities in future.

I cannot say that
airlines industry has now made it absolutely impossible for terrorist to use air travel
to perpetuate terrorism in any way, but they appear to have accepted their
responsibility to prevent terrorism and are taking many positive actions to curb use of
airlines for terrorism.

Should the arline industry accept any blame for the success of the 9/11 attacks?

I think the ext to which airlines industry  can be blamed for the 9/11 attack, is no more than the extent to which a brick, which has been used to hit a person, can be blamed for hurting the person. But the the brick is an inanimate object, while airlines industry is an organization of people, and it would be great folly for those men from airlines industry to not to accept the responsibility for preventing such possibilities in future.

I cannot say that airlines industry has now made it absolutely impossible for terrorist to use air travel to perpetuate terrorism in any way, but they appear to have accepted their responsibility to prevent terrorism and are taking many positive actions to curb use of airlines for terrorism.

What is meant by lights going out in the middle of dinner in "The Glass Menagerie"?

The lights going out in the middle of dinner have both a literal meaning, Tom did not pay the electric bill, and a figurative meaning, it is a foreshadowing of what will happen to Amanda and Laura at the end of the play.

During the dinner with the gentleman caller, Jim, the lights go out because Tom has neglected, on purpose, to pay the electric bill, using the money instead to pay his dues as a Merchant Seaman.  Tom is planning to leave his mother and sister very soon.

The foreshadowing occurs because Williams gives us an indication of what will happen to Amanda and Laura, they will be left both literally and figuratively in the dark when Tom abandons them.

Amanda and Laura depend on Tom for financial support, when he walks out on them, they are stranded in the dark, with no money to pay the electric bill, and no options. 

Laura is left with darkness when Jim, the gentleman caller, admits to being engaged to another girl.  Her one chance at happiness is cut short.  Laura is abandoned by her brother, who can no longer put up with their mother's nagging and demanding ways. 

Amanda's world goes dark as she is shocked and saddened by learning of Jim's status as an engaged man and Tom's abrupt and angry exit from the apartment.

How could Romeo and Juliet overcome the obstacles that stand in their way of happiness?

There are a number of ways Romeo and Juliet might have made their path to happiness more smooth. First of all, both could have acted more maturely and told their parents of their love for one another. Instead, they immediately choose to subvert their parents, assume the worst, and enlist others in their immature cause.

Romeo, for his part, could have come clean. He moons over the loss of Rosaline, is coerced into attending the ball incognito, and falls in love at first sight. Juliet, too, is far from blameless. She impetuously throws away her life and family in order to be with a crush she knows nothing about and to whom she is attracted merely be sight and a few polite words. When the love-struck young man appears unbidden at her balcony, she swoons and hopefully implores: "Deny thy father and refuse thy name. / Or if thou will not, be but sworn my love / And I'll no longer be a Capulet" (2.2.34-36).

The pair continue with their plan of subterfuge, endangering those whom they claim to love (Mercutio, the Nurse) and those whom they can manipulate (again, the Nurse, and the Friar). When their best-laid plans are thwarted, they take the melodramatic, insecure way "out."

Although many characters share culpability, it is ultimately Romeo and Juliet who stand in the way of their own happiness.

What are the main themes in the play " I will Marry When I Want" by Ngugi wa Thiong'o ?

The author Thiong'o is a distinguished professor of
comparative literature at the University of California, Irvine. He is also a known
theorist and author. When he wrote this particular play, it caused quite a bit of
controversy because it pointed out the poor living conditions of the common people in
Kenya. 

The play weaves his interpretation of the living
conditions and culture clashes of post-independence Kenya, when land and wealth were
supposed to be returned to the indigenous people, into a somewhat comedic story about a
family struggling to keep their home and land. Although told as a story about this
family, the author focuses on the political stories throughout the play so that the main
themes stem from this aspect.

The main themes are betrayal
and conflict based on the conflict between commoners and those in charge. The indigenous
commoners were betrayed by those in charge and seemed to have less after British rule
ended than they did before when the opposite was supposed to be the case. Conflict arose
as some of the Africans joined the "Homeguard", siding with the European interests and
took action against fellow Africans. 

What are the main themes in the play " I will Marry When I Want" by Ngugi wa Thiong'o ?

The author Thiong'o is a distinguished professor of comparative literature at the University of California, Irvine. He is also a known theorist and author. When he wrote this particular play, it caused quite a bit of controversy because it pointed out the poor living conditions of the common people in Kenya. 

The play weaves his interpretation of the living conditions and culture clashes of post-independence Kenya, when land and wealth were supposed to be returned to the indigenous people, into a somewhat comedic story about a family struggling to keep their home and land. Although told as a story about this family, the author focuses on the political stories throughout the play so that the main themes stem from this aspect.

The main themes are betrayal and conflict based on the conflict between commoners and those in charge. The indigenous commoners were betrayed by those in charge and seemed to have less after British rule ended than they did before when the opposite was supposed to be the case. Conflict arose as some of the Africans joined the "Homeguard", siding with the European interests and took action against fellow Africans. 

In "The Fall of the House of Usher," what does Roderick symbolize?

When considering symbolism in Gothic Literature
(especially Edgar Allan Poe) I think it is safe to say the following ideas are probably
represented somewhere:

- darkness (physical, mental,
emotional, moral)
- evil
-
secrecy

Consider Roderick's
characteristics:

- hypochondriac and disorder of heightened
senses
- artistic
- keeps to himself
- generally kind but
clearly hiding something

I think it would be safe to argue
that he is symbolic of a family secret, an evil.  Most probably interpret it as incest. 
He is the last of the Usher line, which means the secret dies with
him.

In "The Fall of the House of Usher," what does Roderick symbolize?

When considering symbolism in Gothic Literature (especially Edgar Allan Poe) I think it is safe to say the following ideas are probably represented somewhere:

- darkness (physical, mental, emotional, moral)
- evil
- secrecy

Consider Roderick's characteristics:

- hypochondriac and disorder of heightened senses
- artistic
- keeps to himself
- generally kind but clearly hiding something

I think it would be safe to argue that he is symbolic of a family secret, an evil.  Most probably interpret it as incest.  He is the last of the Usher line, which means the secret dies with him.

What is the significance of this quote to the play "Romeo and Juliet"? "These violent delights have violent ends" (Act 2. Scene 6. Line 9)

Friar Lawrence says this to Romeo just before the wedding.  He is trying to tell Romeo to "love moderately", meaning to not be too extreme in his feelings.   The Friar suggests that when a feeling is expressed with such exaggeration, with no limits, than the feeling is likely to die out.

This quote has importance because it foreshadows the ending of the  play as well.  The "violent delights", meaning the passionate love, of the two teenagers do bring about violent ends for both. 

Also, this quote is symbolic of the plays theme.  All of the violent delights of the characters, both love and hate, result in tragic ends.  Mercutio and Tybalt and wrapped up in emotion and duel.  When Mercutio is killed, Romeo's grief puts him in a murderous rage.  The message is that when humans allow emotion to take control and to be exaggerated, then they are putting themselves in danger.

In what way is Romeo accidently responsible for Mercutio's death?

I think Romeo's choosing to keep his secret about why he
won't fight with Tybalt is most at fault for Mercutio's death. Romeo makes a great point
to Tybalt that he loves him, but never gets out WHY! This would have helped considerably
under the circumstances.

This appeared to Mercutio as
weakness in Romeo and he went after Tybalt then in defense of his friend, Romeo. Tybalt
wasn't about to take that and it resulted in a cheap shot to
Mercutio.

Obviously Romeo never intended for this to
happen, but he certainly had the ability to have prevented the situation by just letting
everyone know there is a new relationship brewing that would drive the families
together.

In what way is Romeo accidently responsible for Mercutio's death?

I think Romeo's choosing to keep his secret about why he won't fight with Tybalt is most at fault for Mercutio's death. Romeo makes a great point to Tybalt that he loves him, but never gets out WHY! This would have helped considerably under the circumstances.

This appeared to Mercutio as weakness in Romeo and he went after Tybalt then in defense of his friend, Romeo. Tybalt wasn't about to take that and it resulted in a cheap shot to Mercutio.

Obviously Romeo never intended for this to happen, but he certainly had the ability to have prevented the situation by just letting everyone know there is a new relationship brewing that would drive the families together.

What is the function of the letter in the third part, first chapter, of The Underdogs? Cual es la funcion de las cartas en la tercera pate de The...

The function of the letter from Luis Cervantes to Venancio
in Part 3, Chapter 1, of The Underdogs serves the function of
pointing out the alternatives to fighting and the futility of unreasoned choices.
Cervantes suggests the irrationality that underpins the peasants unreasoning devotion to
the revolution when he expresses in his letter that he is not surprised that Pancracio
and Manteca killed each other something so banal, so trivial, as gambling. In
juxtaposition to this he draws a picture of hope and luxurious nurturing life by
suggesting they open a restaurant in the United
States.

Additionally, it causes the revolutionaries to
begin to question and reason since they know that the Federation they began the fight to
oppose has been defeated. In juxtaposition to this stands the suggestion of the decaying
futility of  unreasoned actions once set in motion. This idea is highlighted by the
comparison in The Underdogs between Demetrio--who has a peasants
unreasoned for the revolution--and Navera--who has a knowledgeable commitment to the
facts and ideology of the revolution.

What is the function of the letter in the third part, first chapter, of The Underdogs? Cual es la funcion de las cartas en la tercera pate de The...

The function of the letter from Luis Cervantes to Venancio in Part 3, Chapter 1, of The Underdogs serves the function of pointing out the alternatives to fighting and the futility of unreasoned choices. Cervantes suggests the irrationality that underpins the peasants unreasoning devotion to the revolution when he expresses in his letter that he is not surprised that Pancracio and Manteca killed each other something so banal, so trivial, as gambling. In juxtaposition to this he draws a picture of hope and luxurious nurturing life by suggesting they open a restaurant in the United States.

Additionally, it causes the revolutionaries to begin to question and reason since they know that the Federation they began the fight to oppose has been defeated. In juxtaposition to this stands the suggestion of the decaying futility of  unreasoned actions once set in motion. This idea is highlighted by the comparison in The Underdogs between Demetrio--who has a peasants unreasoned for the revolution--and Navera--who has a knowledgeable commitment to the facts and ideology of the revolution.

Using the walking stick as an example, how does Sherlock Holmes work? How could this process help him solve a crime?

What Holmes does is he looks at something like the walking
stick and tries to figure out as much as he can from
it.

For example, he figures out that the owner of the stick
has a dog because there are tooth marks in the stick.  He determines that the dog is not
all that big because it has to grip the stick tightly to carry it (deep tooth marks). 
He figures out what general size of dog it is from how far apart the tooth marks
are.

This kind of reasoning can help him figure out who
committed a crime because it allows him to get a lot of information from a very small
clue.

Using the walking stick as an example, how does Sherlock Holmes work? How could this process help him solve a crime?

What Holmes does is he looks at something like the walking stick and tries to figure out as much as he can from it.

For example, he figures out that the owner of the stick has a dog because there are tooth marks in the stick.  He determines that the dog is not all that big because it has to grip the stick tightly to carry it (deep tooth marks).  He figures out what general size of dog it is from how far apart the tooth marks are.

This kind of reasoning can help him figure out who committed a crime because it allows him to get a lot of information from a very small clue.

How did the Korean War affect the 1952 presidential election?

In my opinion, the major impact of the Korean War came
because people were simply tired of that war.  That helped defeat Adlai Stevenson
because he was too connected to President Truman in people's
minds.

Because people were tired of the war, they wanted it
to be over with.  They equated Stevenson with Truman, who had not been able to bring the
war to an end.  They thought that Eisenhower would be more assertive and would get the
war over with one way or another.

Ike helped make people
think that by promising to go to Korea if elected -- this made it seem like he had some
sort of plan without him having to say what that plan
was.

Although Dwight D. Eisenhower might well have won the
1952 election without the Korean War, that war helped him be more certain of victory. 
The stalemate in the war and Eisenhower’s credibility as a hero from World War II helped
to seal his victory.

By 1952, the war in Korea had become a
stalemate.  As such, it had become rather unpopular in the United States.  Eisenhower
used the people’s unhappiness over the war to his benefit.  One of the major themes of
his campaign was that the Democrats had mishandled the war.  He charged that the
Democrats had not been sufficiently prepared for a war.  Because of that, he said, the
war had ended up in a stalemate.  He had credibility on such issues because of WWII.  He
promised to find a way to end the war if elected.  This, too, helped make him more
popular.

With Ike’s popularity, it is possible that he
would have won the election regardless.  The war in Korea, however, helped to make him
more popular and thereby helped to ensure his victory in 1952.

How did the Korean War affect the 1952 presidential election?

In my opinion, the major impact of the Korean War came because people were simply tired of that war.  That helped defeat Adlai Stevenson because he was too connected to President Truman in people's minds.

Because people were tired of the war, they wanted it to be over with.  They equated Stevenson with Truman, who had not been able to bring the war to an end.  They thought that Eisenhower would be more assertive and would get the war over with one way or another.

Ike helped make people think that by promising to go to Korea if elected -- this made it seem like he had some sort of plan without him having to say what that plan was.

Although Dwight D. Eisenhower might well have won the 1952 election without the Korean War, that war helped him be more certain of victory.  The stalemate in the war and Eisenhower’s credibility as a hero from World War II helped to seal his victory.

By 1952, the war in Korea had become a stalemate.  As such, it had become rather unpopular in the United States.  Eisenhower used the people’s unhappiness over the war to his benefit.  One of the major themes of his campaign was that the Democrats had mishandled the war.  He charged that the Democrats had not been sufficiently prepared for a war.  Because of that, he said, the war had ended up in a stalemate.  He had credibility on such issues because of WWII.  He promised to find a way to end the war if elected.  This, too, helped make him more popular.

With Ike’s popularity, it is possible that he would have won the election regardless.  The war in Korea, however, helped to make him more popular and thereby helped to ensure his victory in 1952.

In "The Odyssey," what survival qualities does Odysseus exhibit in his conflict with Polyphemus?

At this point in his journey, Odysseus has begun to develop more prudence, or wisdom, about his actions although he continues to make serious mistakes. He is clever to tell the Cyclops that his ship was smashed so that the giant can't attack his other men and that his name is "Nobody," a move that insures the other Cyclopes will not come to Polyphemus' aid. Also he manages to get the one-eyed monster drunk, blind him, and then hide under the sheep to escape the cave. All of these actions reveal Odysseus' guile and prudence, traits that help him survive.

Nevertheless, he does lose six men in the cave because of his own curiosity, and once on his ship again, his proud nature leads him to boast to Polyphemus, and he tells the Cyclops his real name and where he lives. Thus he brings on the problems at sea Poseidon causes because his son was blinded. Odysseus is heroic and clever, but he has not yet learned to be as wise as he should be. 

How is the name of Hester's child symbolic in "The Scarlet Letter"?

There are religious meanings in this book that focus on sin and suffering and the choices that people make and how it affects their eternal salvation.

In the Puritan theology, or beliefs, people are either saved, intended for salvation or they are not.  Salvation would be very important to all Puritans including Hester and Arthur. 

The name Pearl is symbolic, as in pearl of great price. This reference can be found in the Bible, Matthew 13:45-46. 

"Even the use of "seeking" (Matthew 13:45) helps to identify the merchant as Christ because it means "to depart from one place and arrive at another." Jesus did this Himself to pay the price of the pearl. He departed from heaven and arrived on earth to complete His mission."

The child, Pearl, has brought Hester to a new place, her salvation is in question. 

Pearl, her daughter, has cost Hester dearly, including, possibly her chance at salvation.

I need to create a Macbeth soundtrack, and I need a song for Act 3. If you can think of any songs, please give a quick description.It can be for...

Act III is a turning point.  Macbeth's taste for blood
worsens.  "Blood, they say, will have blood."  Macbeth consults the murderers.  They
kill Banquo, Macbeth's best friend, but not his son.  Fleance flees on horseback.
 Hecate and the witches plot Macbeth's fate.  McDuff and Malcolm loom as Macbeth's
nemeses.

Some suggestion for
your Macbeth Act III soundtrack:

"If
You Want Blood, You Got It" - AC/DC

"Shopping for Blood" -
Franz Ferdinand

"We Suck Young Blood" -
Radiohead

"My Best Friend" -
Weezer

"Wild Horses" - The Rolling
Stones

"Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses" -
U2

"Witchy Woman" - The
Eagles

"This is England" - The
Clash

"Murder by Number" - The
Police

I need to create a Macbeth soundtrack, and I need a song for Act 3. If you can think of any songs, please give a quick description.It can be for...

Act III is a turning point.  Macbeth's taste for blood worsens.  "Blood, they say, will have blood."  Macbeth consults the murderers.  They kill Banquo, Macbeth's best friend, but not his son.  Fleance flees on horseback.  Hecate and the witches plot Macbeth's fate.  McDuff and Malcolm loom as Macbeth's nemeses.

Some suggestion for your Macbeth Act III soundtrack:

"If You Want Blood, You Got It" - AC/DC

"Shopping for Blood" - Franz Ferdinand

"We Suck Young Blood" - Radiohead

"My Best Friend" - Weezer

"Wild Horses" - The Rolling Stones

"Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses" - U2

"Witchy Woman" - The Eagles

"This is England" - The Clash

"Murder by Number" - The Police

In Walt Whitman's "The Wound-Dresser", how is the poem's narrator characterized?

 The narrator in "The Wound-Dresser" carries many qualities. First, call him complex and contrary. He (the narrator) focuses on the suffering he sees, but the poem is still in many ways about him and his experience of his suffering. This is both selfless and selfish, in a way. Second, he's contrary because he turns away from his hypothetical audience's call for tales of glory and instead gives accounts of suffering. He is conscientious, carrying for all the men: " To each and all one after another I draw near, not one do I miss." He is sensitive, feeling "pangs" due to the suffering he sees.

What is Asagai's attitude toward Beneatha's hair straightening and career goals?

Asagai believes that Beneatha's hairstyle and even her
career goal demonstratethat she is assimilating into "white" culture and giving up her
African heritage.  Her choice to straighten her hair--in Asagai's view--means that she
is unhappy with her natural African features and that she wants to look like "everybody
else."  Beneatha's desire to be a doctor is not at first connected to helping people in
Africa; so he views her goal as trying to prove to the white man that she is just as
intelligent as he is.

In fairness to Beneatha, she was born
and raised in America; so one could argue that she is simply expressing her American
roots through her hair and career goal.  Asagai would have difficulty seeing her choices
as American and not as trying to be white because he is from Africa and has a very
opinionated view of what it means to be black.  Nonetheless, Asagai's influence on
Beneatha is powerful, and once she decides to be more "natural," she is happier with
herself and more stable in her decision-making.

What is Asagai's attitude toward Beneatha's hair straightening and career goals?

Asagai believes that Beneatha's hairstyle and even her career goal demonstratethat she is assimilating into "white" culture and giving up her African heritage.  Her choice to straighten her hair--in Asagai's view--means that she is unhappy with her natural African features and that she wants to look like "everybody else."  Beneatha's desire to be a doctor is not at first connected to helping people in Africa; so he views her goal as trying to prove to the white man that she is just as intelligent as he is.

In fairness to Beneatha, she was born and raised in America; so one could argue that she is simply expressing her American roots through her hair and career goal.  Asagai would have difficulty seeing her choices as American and not as trying to be white because he is from Africa and has a very opinionated view of what it means to be black.  Nonetheless, Asagai's influence on Beneatha is powerful, and once she decides to be more "natural," she is happier with herself and more stable in her decision-making.

In "Frankenstein", who has more of an ability to think critically, Victor or the creature? Who lacks it?quotes will help.

Although the monster does go through a great metamorphosis in learning about what it means to be human, Victor Frankenstein is greatly changed by his experience and his introspection on life deepens in humility as the book progresses. 

Therefore, even though the monster changes and acquires more human qualities which allow him to think critically, Victor Frankenstein surpasses him in this area. In the following passage, Victor admits that he wasted his life on a project that was born from his egotistical tendencies.

"All my speculations and hopes are as nothing; and, like the archangel who aspired to omnipotence, I am chained in an eternal hell. My imagination was vivid, yet my powers of analysis and application were intense; by the union of these qualities I conceived the idea and executed the creation of a man. Even now I cannot recollect without passion my reveries while the work was incomplete. I trod heaven in my thoughts, now exulting in my powers, now burning with the idea of their effects." (Chapter 24)

Victor realizes that he attempted to play God, and for his ambition, his desire to achieve this feat, he now suffers.  This quote symbolizes how Victor Frankenstein has changed and become much more contemplative, a gifted scientist, he should have put his brilliant mind towards helping humanity fight disease instead.   

The monster no matter how intellectual he becomes is still a primal beast.

Please explain the biography of James Hurst, the author of "The Scarlet Ibis."

James Hurst is sort of a one hit wonder. He began his
pursuit of success and fame by attending Juilliard in New York. Unfortunately music
wasn't really his talent. Well, maybe it was, but it takes great amount of talent, good
timing and a big break to make it in the industry.

Next he
turned to banking and spent time until 1984 working for Chase Manhattan Bank. Throughout
his years as a banker, he wrote on the side for pleasure. The Scarlet Ibis
was his only famed piece of writing that has now taken on its life in many
high school classrooms.

Many students wonder if the story
of Doodle is the story of his very own brother. It feels very autobiographical. However,
it is indeed a fictional piece.

Please explain the biography of James Hurst, the author of "The Scarlet Ibis."

James Hurst is sort of a one hit wonder. He began his pursuit of success and fame by attending Juilliard in New York. Unfortunately music wasn't really his talent. Well, maybe it was, but it takes great amount of talent, good timing and a big break to make it in the industry.

Next he turned to banking and spent time until 1984 working for Chase Manhattan Bank. Throughout his years as a banker, he wrote on the side for pleasure. The Scarlet Ibis was his only famed piece of writing that has now taken on its life in many high school classrooms.

Many students wonder if the story of Doodle is the story of his very own brother. It feels very autobiographical. However, it is indeed a fictional piece.

In "A Good Man Is Hard To Find," why does the grandmother murmur"you are one of my own children" to the Misfit?"A Good Man Is Hard To Find" by...

In the context of O'Connor's story, "A Good Man is Hard to
Find," grace is something often undeserved, a force outside a character that generates
an epiphany.  The grandmother has such an epiphany and receives grace as suddenly looks
at the Misfit with a new perspective, seeing him as like unto herself.  At this point,
the grandmother becomes a good Christian as she reaches out to the Misfit.  After he
shoots her, the Misfit does recognize her transformation, for he
says,

'She
would have been a good woman...if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute
of her life.'

Significantly,
after being shot the religious number of three times,  she falls over her legs which are
crossed under her, symbolically like the crucified Christ, who died to save others. 
For, after turning down the road to error, the grandmother redeems herself from
the petty, materialistic life which she has been living.

In "A Good Man Is Hard To Find," why does the grandmother murmur"you are one of my own children" to the Misfit?"A Good Man Is Hard To Find" by...

In the context of O'Connor's story, "A Good Man is Hard to Find," grace is something often undeserved, a force outside a character that generates an epiphany.  The grandmother has such an epiphany and receives grace as suddenly looks at the Misfit with a new perspective, seeing him as like unto herself.  At this point, the grandmother becomes a good Christian as she reaches out to the Misfit.  After he shoots her, the Misfit does recognize her transformation, for he says,

'She would have been a good woman...if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life.'

Significantly, after being shot the religious number of three times,  she falls over her legs which are crossed under her, symbolically like the crucified Christ, who died to save others.  For, after turning down the road to error, the grandmother redeems herself from the petty, materialistic life which she has been living.

In "The Odyssey", why does Homer use the similes of the fly and the cows, then the vulture, in his description of the battle?Book 22

In Book XXII, Odysseus and Telemachus begin to slaughter the suitors of Penelope.  The goddess Athene causes the suitors to become fearful and confused, running to the other end of the court "like a herd of cattle maddened by the gadfly in the early summer when the days are at their longest." 

Odysseus and his men attack the sutors as vultures do the smaller birds.  The sens here is of helplessness to do anything to protect themselves.  They are at Odysseus' mercy as a slaughters them in his righteous rage.  Though some beg for mercy, Odysseus has none.  One by one, they all suffer the same fate.

Analyze and Explain the "Sun rising" poem by John Donne?

The Sun Rising is a monologue to the Sun, in which the
narrator both exalts it and insults bringing with it a lot of descriptive and emotive
language that gears towards the necessity of the Sun in the lives of individuals,
similarly as one needs love, God, or any other power that is higher than
us.

In this poem, he first asks the Sunlight, just entering
his room, to go away. Apparently he is in love and is sharing his bed with his lover,
and seeing the sun rising makes him realize that its time to leave the bed, and face the
day. He asks for it to go somewhere where he is needed: At hunting parties, in places
where people want it to be daylight. But he doesn't.

Then,
he praises the sun for being the alseeing eye that lights up the planet, how we
gravitate towards it due to its might, and he compares the brightness of the sun and the
intensity of its heat and power to the love he feels for his lover, saying that nothing
can shine like their love, her eyes, everything.

In terms
of form, this poem is highly exaggerated (hyperbolic). It is rich in metaphor and
simile, and it accentuates the main ideas of romance, passion, and love by comparing all
three to the heat, brightness, and pull of the son as a massive star. It is one of the
most famous poems of John Donne, and certainly one of the richest in
language.

Analyze and Explain the "Sun rising" poem by John Donne?

The Sun Rising is a monologue to the Sun, in which the narrator both exalts it and insults bringing with it a lot of descriptive and emotive language that gears towards the necessity of the Sun in the lives of individuals, similarly as one needs love, God, or any other power that is higher than us.

In this poem, he first asks the Sunlight, just entering his room, to go away. Apparently he is in love and is sharing his bed with his lover, and seeing the sun rising makes him realize that its time to leave the bed, and face the day. He asks for it to go somewhere where he is needed: At hunting parties, in places where people want it to be daylight. But he doesn't.

Then, he praises the sun for being the alseeing eye that lights up the planet, how we gravitate towards it due to its might, and he compares the brightness of the sun and the intensity of its heat and power to the love he feels for his lover, saying that nothing can shine like their love, her eyes, everything.

In terms of form, this poem is highly exaggerated (hyperbolic). It is rich in metaphor and simile, and it accentuates the main ideas of romance, passion, and love by comparing all three to the heat, brightness, and pull of the son as a massive star. It is one of the most famous poems of John Donne, and certainly one of the richest in language.

In "The Tell-Tale Heart", why does the narrator hear the heartbeat of the old man's heart so loudly? (when the police were at the house chatting)

The narrator also hears immediately before he kills the old man. The heartbeat is significant of the narrator's guilt.

The narrator assures the reader at the beginning of the short story that he's not crazy, but more often than not, when Poe has a narrator insist that he's not crazy, the narrator usually is.

The heartbeat is other-worldly; the narrator is the only once who can hear it, and it makes him increasingly uncomfortable and drives him so insane so his only relief is to admit to the murder. It is either his own subconscious driving him to admit the murder or an other-worldly effect to drive him to the same conclusion--perhaps the old man's revenge from beyond the grave.

Which country was the site of some of the worst natural disasters of the 20th century?

Post #1 correctly identifies Bangladesh as the country
that experienced the worst natural disaster of 20th century in terms of number of people
dead. In a cyclonic storm that hit Bangladesh in 1970 (which was East Pakistan at that
time), nearly 266,000 people died. In aftermath of this cyclone many more people died of
diseases. The total toll is thus estimated to be more than a million people. Another
major cyclone that struck Bangladesh in 1991 killed nearly 138,00
people.

Incidentally the second biggest natural disaster of
20th century was an earthquake in Noerth-Eastern China in 1976, that left nearly 240,000
people dead.

Which country was the site of some of the worst natural disasters of the 20th century?

Post #1 correctly identifies Bangladesh as the country that experienced the worst natural disaster of 20th century in terms of number of people dead. In a cyclonic storm that hit Bangladesh in 1970 (which was East Pakistan at that time), nearly 266,000 people died. In aftermath of this cyclone many more people died of diseases. The total toll is thus estimated to be more than a million people. Another major cyclone that struck Bangladesh in 1991 killed nearly 138,00 people.

Incidentally the second biggest natural disaster of 20th century was an earthquake in Noerth-Eastern China in 1976, that left nearly 240,000 people dead.

Who does the gray ghost symbolize in chapter 31 of "To Kill a Mockingbird"?

In order to understand the symbolic meaning of the book The Gray Ghost, you need some background information. 

In the beginning of the book, Jem, Scout, and Dill are preoccupied with Boo. They want him to come out. Jem and Scout warn Dill that this was a dangerous thing. However, Dill persisted. On one occasion, Dill dared Jem to touch the front door of the Radley house. Dill said that if Jem would do such a thing, he would give him his copy of The Gray Ghost.

Scout says that Dill never turned down a dare and so he did it. The Gray Ghost represents Boo or better yet what the children imagined Boo to be. 

At the end of the book, Atticus see the copy of the book, and Scout asks him to read her the book during bedtime. Atticus refuses at first, as the book is scary, but Scout insists. She says that she is not sacred. In fact, as Atticus starts, Scout fall asleep immediately. 

If the gray ghost represents Boo, then Scout really has nothing to fear, as Boo and Scout are now "friends." What seems fearful no longer is. The ghost might still be gray, but the ghost is friendly. 

Describe the characteristics of Eveline and Frank in "Eveline."

Eveline has been left a lot of responsibility at so young an age. She made promises to her mother to look after her father and two small children. She also works outside the home. Both her boss and father boss her around, and her father is abusive and degrading. Frank tempts her to flee and run away with him because it would be an escape from her grim life. She is also very young and naive, so it weighs heavy on her conscience that she would be creating a scandal by running away, and also breaking her promise. Her naivety also shows in her being dazzled by Frank, who she barely knows. Her limited contact with men and dating causes her to be unaware of how risky such an action would be.

Frank comes across as a savior. He is more worldly, and obviously sees that Eveline would be easy to manipulate. The reader must decide if his intentions are sincere or not. He stuns her with his tales of life as a sailor, all the exotic areas he has visited, and his promises to give her a new and exciting life. His adventures lead Eveline to see him as sophisticated and charming, which is a direct contradiction to her father.

In "Catcher in the Rye," what is Holden Caufield's views on how to treat others?

It depends because what Holden thinks and how he acts often contradict each other. Holden is generally polite to people, including a classmate's mother he meets on the train, the nuns he meets at breakfast, the girls he dances with at a bar, and the cab drivers, but how he acts does not always determine how he thinks. Holden often calls people phony, but only in his head. For instance, he likes dancing with the girls in the bar, but as he is doing so, he thinks about how dumb and boring they are. The only time he fights with people or acts rudely is when they start it, such as with Maurice, the pimp who beat Holden up for $5. Even then, Holden does not do much to act on his hatred; instead, he daydreams about what he would like to do to Maurice.

Why is Mathilde in "The Necklace" a failure as a person, as a wife, and as a friend?

Mathilde Loisel in Guy DeMaupassant's "The Necklace" does not appreciate all that she has and wishes for more.  She thinks she is poor, but she has a maid who comes to clean the house, and she has never had to work a day in her life.  In this way, she is a spoiled, selfish person who only cares about appearances. 

She apparantly does not love her husband if she insists that he does not do enough to provide her with what she wants.  He even gives up the money he has been saving up to spend on himself just so that she can get a new dress instead.  However, she does not even appreciate that.  Her next complaint is that she has no fancy jewels to wear with her new dress.  In this way, she is a terrible wife who does not appreciate the man who sacrifices so much for her.  

She is also a terrible friend because after she loses Mme. Forestier's necklace, she lies to her and tells her that a clasp is being fixed.  If she had not been so full of pride and unwilling to admit she'd lost the necklace in the first place, she would have learned that it was merely fake and not worth the 36,000 francs it took for the Loisels to purchase a genuine one.  She obviously stops seeing her friend after the event because Mme. Forestier runs into her after ten years.  Only after Mme. Loisel bitterly snipes at her friend does she learn the truth about the necklace.

Explain the following quote from Julius Caesar and use some examples from Acts I and II. "Language is a powerful weapon, and in the hands of a...

This quote is so important to the play.  Language is used to manipulate and interpret so many different events and instances in Julius Caesar.

Right off the top of my head, I think of the conspirators persuading Brutus to their cause with their hidden notes and messages and their speeches to him.

There is the soothsayer who attempts to persuade Caesar to beware of March 15, but Caesar is too proud to consider it.

Portia uses her power of persuasion along with a wound in the thigh to persuade Brutus that he can trust her with the problem that plagues his mind.  She is strong enough to take it.

Calpurnia persuades Caesar not to go to the Senate because of her dream, and then Decius uses his extraordinary gifts of wit and persuasion to turn the dream around and convince Caesar that the dream is a good omen.

Later on in the play, Brutus uses his gift of gab to speak with the crowds and convince them that killing Caesar was necessary.  Mark Antony claims he is not a public speaker, but he quickly turns the crowd's mind from Brutus' cause to support Caesar posthumously and to rise up against the conspirators.

There is much to be said for language and how powerful it is in the hands (or mouths) of talented orators.  Many people throughout the ages have been successfully manipulated by words--just take a look at the presidential debates on TV and editorials printed in newspapers to know this is true.

Why were the first groups of settlers to the New World (the Pilgrims, not the Puritans) so woefully underprepared for their life there? They did...

Before their journey to Massachusetts, the pilgrims had secured financing from the Merchant Adventures, a group of Puritan businessmen interested in both making a profit and spreading their religion. They bought what they thought would be enough provisions and obtained passage on two ships, the Mayflower and the Speedwell. The Pilgrims had planned to to leave early in 1620 and arrive in the New World in early spring, enough time to plant crops for surviving the winter. However, difficulties dealing with the Merchant Adventurers, including several changes for the voyage and financing, resulted in a delay for several months. The Mayflower then had to rendezvous with the Speedwell. The two ships finally left from the the Netherlands in August, 1620. Unfortunately, the Speedwell proved unseaworthy, and headed back to port. Many passengers from it crowded on the already overburdened Mayflower. They intended to land near the Hudson River, but a storm pushed them south to Massachuetts. By then, it was already early winter and their provisions were dangerously low. Since they couldn't plant crops or build decent shelters in winter, as many as 50 percent of the people died that first winter.

Describe Woody's journey in April 1946 in Farewell to Manzanar.Tell where he went, what he did, and whom he saw, and how he was treated.

In April 1946, Woody returns to his father's anscestral
home in Ka-ke, near the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Woody is a soldier, and part of the
American occupying forces in Japan. As a soldier, he imagines the silent resentment of
the people, who, he imagines, must consider him a traitor to his own. Because of this,
Woody actually dreads going to his father's home, but he figures he is "too close not to
visit." He is greeted by his father's aunt, Toyo, who must be around eighty years
old.

Toyo and the family receive Woody with joy, and
despite the fact that they have little, treat him like royalty. Woody's father had left
his home forty years before, and had lost contact with his family; they are delighted to
hear that he is still alive and living in California. With typical Japanese reserve,
they receive the gift of sugar Woody has brought graciously, a little embarrassed that
they have nothing to give in return. Although the house is large and kept scrupulously
clean, the rooms are almost empty, everything having been lost in the war. Toyo takes
Woody to what she says is his father's gravesite; when they had not heard from him in so
long, they had assumed he was dead, and had built a memorial to him. Ecstatic that her
nephew is not dead as presumed, she tells Woody,

readability="5">

"There are...many relatives to meet. Everyone
will want to see Ko's
son."

Toyo shows Woody their
"immaculate rock garden," and, with consumate dignity, makes him a meal, which she
serves on "one of her few remaining treasures, a fine set of porcelain." Despite his
protests, she then gives him a delicate coverlet, and takes him to a room where he can
sleep. As he dozes, Woody senses a presence nearby, and he wakes to find Toyo sitting by
him, just gazing at him with intensity. She is crying, and quietly tells him that he
looks very much like his father. When Toyo leaves the room, Woody is overcome with "a
sadness both heavy and sweet." He has found a connection with his past and his ancestry
that he never fully appreciated, and resolves to ask his aunt tomorrow to share with him
her memories of his father, "everything (she) can remember" (Chapter
18).

Describe Woody's journey in April 1946 in Farewell to Manzanar.Tell where he went, what he did, and whom he saw, and how he was treated.

In April 1946, Woody returns to his father's anscestral home in Ka-ke, near the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Woody is a soldier, and part of the American occupying forces in Japan. As a soldier, he imagines the silent resentment of the people, who, he imagines, must consider him a traitor to his own. Because of this, Woody actually dreads going to his father's home, but he figures he is "too close not to visit." He is greeted by his father's aunt, Toyo, who must be around eighty years old.

Toyo and the family receive Woody with joy, and despite the fact that they have little, treat him like royalty. Woody's father had left his home forty years before, and had lost contact with his family; they are delighted to hear that he is still alive and living in California. With typical Japanese reserve, they receive the gift of sugar Woody has brought graciously, a little embarrassed that they have nothing to give in return. Although the house is large and kept scrupulously clean, the rooms are almost empty, everything having been lost in the war. Toyo takes Woody to what she says is his father's gravesite; when they had not heard from him in so long, they had assumed he was dead, and had built a memorial to him. Ecstatic that her nephew is not dead as presumed, she tells Woody,

"There are...many relatives to meet. Everyone will want to see Ko's son."

Toyo shows Woody their "immaculate rock garden," and, with consumate dignity, makes him a meal, which she serves on "one of her few remaining treasures, a fine set of porcelain." Despite his protests, she then gives him a delicate coverlet, and takes him to a room where he can sleep. As he dozes, Woody senses a presence nearby, and he wakes to find Toyo sitting by him, just gazing at him with intensity. She is crying, and quietly tells him that he looks very much like his father. When Toyo leaves the room, Woody is overcome with "a sadness both heavy and sweet." He has found a connection with his past and his ancestry that he never fully appreciated, and resolves to ask his aunt tomorrow to share with him her memories of his father, "everything (she) can remember" (Chapter 18).

In "The Crucible,"what accusation does Giles Corey make about Thomas Putnam?

Giles Corey comes to court in ACT III to file a deposition that Thomas Putnam is essentially encouraging his daughter to accuse people of witchcraft so that he can claim their land. When someone is tried and convicted of witchcraft, their land goes up for auction and can be purchased at an extremely reduced rate; therefore, if Putnam wanted someone's land, Giles Corey's claim is that he asks his daughter to accuse that person of witchcraft so that he can eventually buy their land:

Giles: My proof is there!

Pointing to the paper. If Jacobs hangs for a witch he forfeit up his property - that’s law! And there is none but Putnam with the; cointo buy so great a piece. This man is killing his neighbors for their land!

Danforth: But proof, sir, proof.

Giles,pointing at his deposition: The proof is there! I have it from an honest man who heard Putnam say it! The day his daughter cried out on Jacobs, he said she’d given him a fair gift of land.

Another important development here is that Giles refuses to reveal the name of the man who told him this information, because he hears that people who have signed the first deposition are being taken into custody. Giles refuses to damn another person to hang, and he is eventually pressed to death because he won't cooperate with questioning. Because he says nothing when asked if he is guilty of witchcraft, his sons are able to inherit his land and his property is not auctioned.

What are the factors of Perception??

Perception is the process by which individuals organize
and interpret the signals received through their sensory organs to give meaning to their
environment. What we perceive is definitely influenced by the environment which
generates the signal received by sensory organs. But the same signals are not perceived
by all individuals in the same way. There are differences. As a matter of fact there may
be difference in the way an individual perceives the same object in the environment
under different conditions.

The factors that influence
perception include the characteristics of the perceiver, target perceived, and the
situation or context within which the perception takes
place.

Personal characteristics of individual like
attitudes, motives, interests, past experience and expectations impact his or her
perception. Then the characteristics of the object or the target being perceived also
influence the perception. But it is important to note that what the individual perceives
is not exact replica of the reality. The target consists of many constituent elements
and the way these are organised cause the individual to perceive some while leave out
the others. Similar the arrangements of the elements also tends to enlarge or shrink in
our mind the significance of different features of the target. The context within which
the perception takes place is also a very important determinant of how the physical
reality of the target will be perceived by the individual. Things like time at which an
object is seen, the location where it is seen, heat, light, and many other factors
influence perception.

What are the factors of Perception??

Perception is the process by which individuals organize and interpret the signals received through their sensory organs to give meaning to their environment. What we perceive is definitely influenced by the environment which generates the signal received by sensory organs. But the same signals are not perceived by all individuals in the same way. There are differences. As a matter of fact there may be difference in the way an individual perceives the same object in the environment under different conditions.

The factors that influence perception include the characteristics of the perceiver, target perceived, and the situation or context within which the perception takes place.

Personal characteristics of individual like attitudes, motives, interests, past experience and expectations impact his or her perception. Then the characteristics of the object or the target being perceived also influence the perception. But it is important to note that what the individual perceives is not exact replica of the reality. The target consists of many constituent elements and the way these are organised cause the individual to perceive some while leave out the others. Similar the arrangements of the elements also tends to enlarge or shrink in our mind the significance of different features of the target. The context within which the perception takes place is also a very important determinant of how the physical reality of the target will be perceived by the individual. Things like time at which an object is seen, the location where it is seen, heat, light, and many other factors influence perception.

What are some recurring motifs (symbols) in the novel Pride and Prejudice?

"Pride and Prejudice" deals with  matters concerning the important thematic connection between money,wealth and marriage. Although, there are no overt symbols there are subtle indicators which emphasise the financial status of a character.

One such indicator is the mode of transport which the character uses.

The  chaise and four in which Bingley visits Netherfield for the first time, clearly emphasises his rich financial status (Ch.1.) Similarly,in Ch.56 Lady Catherine a very rich lady visits the Bennets in a chaise and four. Only very rich people could afford to own  and maintain four horses as a means of private transport.

In Ch.7 the conversation after Jane reads aloud the note from Catherine Bingley revals to us that the Bennets have a carriage and a coach (a covered carriage) but not separate horses for them. Similarly, the Hursts although they have a chaise of their own do not have separate horses for it, unlike Bingley who owns a chaise alongwith the  horses for it.

In Ch.53. on  his second visit to Hertfordshire, Bingley visits the Bennets after entering  the paddock-the place where horses are kept-and then "rides towards the house."  Although, Elizabeth spent six weeks at Hunsford there is no reference to Collins owning a carriage leave alone having a paddock.

Darcy's very rich  superior status is emphasised in Ch.44. He and his sister use a curricle-a two wheeled carriage pulled by two horses side by side-to visit Elizabeth at the inn.

What does the campfire in the forest represent? How is this fire different from other fires depicted in the novel?

I think that this fire represents a new life.  It
represents something that the men hope will be kindled and lit by the knowledge that is
inside their heads.

This fire is different from all of the
other fires in the story because it is the only one that is actually meant to help
people and to make life better.  All of the other fires in the story are meant to
destroy.  This fire is meant to comfort the men and help them to survive.  One image of
fire in our society is the comfortable fire that burns in a fireplace.  This fire is
that kind of fire.

What does the campfire in the forest represent? How is this fire different from other fires depicted in the novel?

I think that this fire represents a new life.  It represents something that the men hope will be kindled and lit by the knowledge that is inside their heads.

This fire is different from all of the other fires in the story because it is the only one that is actually meant to help people and to make life better.  All of the other fires in the story are meant to destroy.  This fire is meant to comfort the men and help them to survive.  One image of fire in our society is the comfortable fire that burns in a fireplace.  This fire is that kind of fire.

What are the major competing companies for Bayer Animal Health?

Bayer Animal Health is a company dedicated to the health and treatment of animals, not just dogs and cats, but livestock, horses, etc. Another company that competes in this industry is called Pfizer Animal Health.

 "At Pfizer Animal Health, a passion for the health and wellness of animals – and a commitment to research – combine to help protect the health of pets and farm animals and the productivity of livestock."

"Novartis Animal Health is at the forefront of new and better treatments for the most common pet ailments, such as internal and external parasites, arthritic pain control, renal, heart and allergic diseases as well as insecticides for farm fly and pest control. For livestock and farmed fish diseases, we offer prevention through vaccination as well as therapeutic products to treat parasitic and bacterial infections".

In "The Great Gatsby", does Gatsby really believe, as he tells Daisy, that his house is always full of interesting, famous people?Chapter 5

    It is hard to say. Although Gatsby spends an extravagant amount of money on his parties, he doesn't even participate in the partying as you see in chapter three. He stays on the outskirts and observes. This detail evokes the idea that he does not want to spend his time talking to the people that come to his parties. However, I think that he wants to believe that they are all famous and interesting, because if he believed anything else, then he wouldn't have achieved what he has set out to achieve. The perfect, interesting, extravagant, American life. Deep down, I think that he knows that the people that come to his parties are rather shallow and uninteresting; but, when it has to do with Daisy, reality for him is skewed and at the time he truly believes what he says to her. 

What is the American Dream? What is the American Dream? Do you believe many people in America are living this dream? How do people reach that goal?...

The American Dream is different for different people.  Mostly, it is being successful.  Of course, "successful" is a relative term.  If you've never had a house or a car, then successful means that you have these items. 

In any case, many people come from all over the world in order to "make it big."  To become rich, have a nice house, a nice car, nice clothes.

People reach the goal by making good financial decisions, living within the means of your salary, and not getting into the credit card tarpit.  Set the goal, make a plan to get there, and work the plan.  Once the goal is reached, repeat.

The positive consequences include pride in a job well-done. The negative consequences can be debt.

There are many people living the American Dream.  It is true for people of all ethnic groups, religious groups, sexual orientation, gender, and social class.  It takes determination and hard work. It takes work ethic--not "get rich quick" schemes.  No one reaches the American Dream living on welfare and social programs.  Those programs are there for temporary relief, not as a way of life.

How did the boys decide to go about being rescued in "Lord of the Flies"? What crucial role did Piggy play in this plan?after reading chapters 1 & 2

In Chap. One, the first thing the boys do is vote for a leader, who is Ralph. Ralph establishes order with Piggy's help and that of the conch, the symbol of rule and civilization.Ralph decides that three of them will explore the island, straight off. Through this exploration, Ralph, Simon, and Jack discover the island is uninhabited, and Jack discovers the pigs.

In Chap. Two, Ralph blows the conch and sets about his leadership role. First, it is decided to have, "Lots of rules!" Next, Piggy calls for order, and Ralph decides that they will "Make a fire!" It will be that fire which will signal their rescue. Piggy reminds them at the end of Chap. Two, that they must act proper, and in this way, law and order is established for the present!

What does Grendel's Mother do to Beowulf to show that she is bent on revenge in the poem?

The first act of revenge is her journey to Herot to retrieve her son's arm which was placed in the rafters as a sort of trophy after Beowulf ripped it from Grendel's socket.  While she was there, she killed and ate Hrothgar's best friend.

Beowulf, in answer to the death of Hrothgar's closest friend, traveled to the bottom of the bubbling lake to fight the creature.  While Grendel's mother is bent on revenge to avenge her son's death, she honorably protects Beowulf from other sea creatures and also takes Beowulf to her underground lair filled with air which puts the two on somewhat equal fighting ground.  However, the honor ends there.  She gnashes and tears at his armor, breaks his sword, stretches him out on the floor of the cave, and fights ruthlessly in order to kill her son's murderer.  If it weren't for the magic sword forged by giants which hung on her cave wall, Beowulf may not have won the battle.

It is with this sword that Beowulf kills Grendel's mother and decapitates Grendel's body in order to haul the head back to the mead hall for one last hurrah.  

What are examples from Larkin's poems that show they move particular to general and general to contemplative?

To answer this question properly would require a detailed
survey of all of Larkins' poems. For the moment, let's consider a few of the poems most
often anthologized.

"Church Going" is one example. This
poem begins with a highly particular situation: the speaker enters a country church
while he is biking through the countryside. After exploring the church and considering
the fate of churches (and, by implication, of religion in general) in an increasingly
irreligious age, he concludes that churches will never be abandoned
completely,

readability="18">

Since someone will forever be
surprising

A hunger in himself to be more
serious,

And gravitating with it to this
ground,

Which, he once heard, was proper to grow wise
in,

If only that so many dead lie round. 
(59-63)

In this poem, then,
the movement is clearly from particular to general -- from the isolated bicyclist to the
unnamed "someone" who represents a deep-seated human desire for
wisdom.

The same pattern of moving from particular to
general is repeated in "MCMIV," which describes the eagerness of men to volunteer, in
1914, to take part in World War I. After describing the details of those days, the
speaker concludes, in the final stanza,

readability="11">

Never such
innocence,

Never before or since, . .
.

.          .         .         
.

Never such innocence again (25-26,
32)

Here again, then, the
movement is clearly from particular experiences to a general
conclusion.

"Aubade," however, opens with a highly
particular situation and a highly personal
perspective:

I
work all day, and get half-drunk at night.

Waking at four
to soundless dark, I
stare.

Much of the
generalizing in this poem, interestingly, occurs in the middle section, as when the
speaker announces, "Death is no different whined at than withstood"
(40).

By the time the poem concludes, ten lines later,
Larkin has returned to mundane particulars:

readability="5">

Work has to be
done.

Postmen like doctors go from house to house.
(49-50)

The structure of the
poem thus mimics the poem's topic, in which disturbing thoughts occur in the middle of
the night.

In another famous poem, "Explosion," almost the
entire poem is made up of particulars; Larkin leaves it to readers themselves to draw
their own general conclusions from the detailed particulars he
describes.

Finally, one other notable poem ("Sad Steps")
does indeed move from particular to general, since its final lines conclude by
mentioning

.
. . the strength and pain

Of being young; that it can't
come again,

But is for others undiminished somewhere.
(36-38)

If this very brief
survey of a few of Larkins' poems is any indication, it seems best to suggest that,
while some do move from particular to general, his poems move in ways that are
appropriate to the particular meanings of each specific work.

What are examples from Larkin's poems that show they move particular to general and general to contemplative?

To answer this question properly would require a detailed survey of all of Larkins' poems. For the moment, let's consider a few of the poems most often anthologized.

"Church Going" is one example. This poem begins with a highly particular situation: the speaker enters a country church while he is biking through the countryside. After exploring the church and considering the fate of churches (and, by implication, of religion in general) in an increasingly irreligious age, he concludes that churches will never be abandoned completely,

Since someone will forever be surprising

A hunger in himself to be more serious,

And gravitating with it to this ground,

Which, he once heard, was proper to grow wise in,

If only that so many dead lie round.  (59-63)

In this poem, then, the movement is clearly from particular to general -- from the isolated bicyclist to the unnamed "someone" who represents a deep-seated human desire for wisdom.

The same pattern of moving from particular to general is repeated in "MCMIV," which describes the eagerness of men to volunteer, in 1914, to take part in World War I. After describing the details of those days, the speaker concludes, in the final stanza,

Never such innocence,

Never before or since, . . .

.          .         .          .

Never such innocence again (25-26, 32)

Here again, then, the movement is clearly from particular experiences to a general conclusion.

"Aubade," however, opens with a highly particular situation and a highly personal perspective:

I work all day, and get half-drunk at night.

Waking at four to soundless dark, I stare.

Much of the generalizing in this poem, interestingly, occurs in the middle section, as when the speaker announces, "Death is no different whined at than withstood" (40).

By the time the poem concludes, ten lines later, Larkin has returned to mundane particulars:

Work has to be done.

Postmen like doctors go from house to house. (49-50)

The structure of the poem thus mimics the poem's topic, in which disturbing thoughts occur in the middle of the night.

In another famous poem, "Explosion," almost the entire poem is made up of particulars; Larkin leaves it to readers themselves to draw their own general conclusions from the detailed particulars he describes.

Finally, one other notable poem ("Sad Steps") does indeed move from particular to general, since its final lines conclude by mentioning

. . . the strength and pain

Of being young; that it can't come again,

But is for others undiminished somewhere. (36-38)

If this very brief survey of a few of Larkins' poems is any indication, it seems best to suggest that, while some do move from particular to general, his poems move in ways that are appropriate to the particular meanings of each specific work.